Hero and the Doctor: Love in the Time of Monsters
by SilverTortoise
Summary: Part 4/4 of the TIME GIRL SERIES - Hero Smith and the Doctor are now expecting their first child, but there's no rest for the weary as Hero is plagued by bad dreams. What do these dreams mean, and why has Amy been feeling so sick lately? How will the Doctor be affected by Hero's pregnancy? OC/11th Doctor
1. Nightmares and Babies

**Hello again my lovelies! Hope you've had a good week...**

**Welcome to the next installment of Hero and the Doctor. This story will feature an adventure as well as... well, you'll just have to stick around and find out ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own BBC or Doctor Who. Hero Smith, however, is my creation *smile***

**Please read, stay in touch, and review!**

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><p><em>I am walking down a long, endless hallway, lined with door after door, each one painted with a different number. I rest a protective hand over the small curve of my belly as I continue to move forward, my breath hitching in my throat as I feel a wave of anxiety crest over my mind. Down the hallway, I can hear a clanking of metal, like someone is banging a wrench on a pipe, and I find myself moving faster, starting to job forward, growing slightly panicky as the hall in front of me stretches out longer and longer, keeping me from reaching the end.<em>

"_Hero!" The Doctor's shout comes from somewhere ahead of me, and the clanking continues. _

_A loud roar behind me makes me wheel around, gasping, and just before everything goes black, I scream, faced with a beast who is all teeth and glowing eyes and sharp claws..._

I woke with a jerk, sitting up straight in the bed, my hearts thumping hard back and forth across my chest. I sat there for a moment, gasping for breath, feeling the Doctor stir next to me and sleepily slip and arm around my back.

"'s just a dream, love..." he mumbled, his eyes still closed as he pressed a soft kiss on the only part of me he could reach, my right arm. I allowed myself to smile as he immediately drifted back into sleep – it was his first real rest in three days – but for the remainder of the night I could only sleep fitfully, jerking awake over and over to dwell on the roar of the beast and the Doctor's pleading voice.

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><p>"Urggg..."<p>

Amy sat across from me in her little blue kitchen, staring into the mug of peppermint tea I'd just given her. "Hero, I'm not sure about this..." she groaned, her face a bit paler than usual.

"It'll help," I encouraged her, "I promise, it's just the thing to sooth your stomach." Resting a hand on my still-flat stomach, I smiled quietly to myself as a soft flutter of recognition in my mind told me that my baby was awake.

"So, erm..." Amy set down the mug, keeping a hand on it just in case, "How far along are you, again? " She nodded at my belly, smiling shakily. I saw her swallow hard.

"Almost four months," I replied, sitting up straighter, "The Doctor says that I won't start showing for another couple of months since the development is so slow... Kind of weird, I guess, huh..." Amy smiled for real this time, then subsided with a soft moan, clutching suddenly at her own stomach.

"Bloody hell..." I frowned slightly in concern as she went even paler, looking a bit green. "Be right back," she gasped, leaping up from her chair and bolting out of the kitchen. I heard her pounding up the stairs to the bathroom, retching and growling with frustration. A door slammed somewhere above me, and I sighed heavily. _Poor Amy_...

A few minutes later, the red-head emerged once more, subdued and weary. She flung herself back into her chair, then grabbed the peppermint tea and took an experimental swig – and grimaced. "Well... It could be a lot worse, I suppose, and it smells nice..." I nodded, patting her shoulder kindly as she continued to sip at the tea. After a moment, she murmured, "God this is pretty terrible, this morning sickness stuff..." I felt a pang of guilt as she continued, "Have you been feeling anything, Hero?" I sheepishly shook my head, glancing down at my stomach with a small grin.

"Nope, guess it's a nice trade-off for a 15-month pregnancy," I sighed, "though honestly I kind of feel weird _not_ feeling sick..." Amy chuckled, sipping her tea and leaning back in her chair.

"Yup, well, I think the weirdest part is that even though I got pregnant after you, I'm going to have my baby first..." She smirked at me, raising a ginger eyebrow.

"You win," I agreed, tipping an imaginary hat to my friend.

As we both started to laugh, a loud crash at the front door brought us both to our feet as loud male voices shouted from just outside.

"Put it down in the kitchen!" Rory's voice bellowed, followed by another loud crash and the Doctor's repentant "Sorry..." I raised my eyebrows at Amy, who pursed her lips and leaned around the kitchen door, trying to see what exactly was going on.

"How was I supposed to see it?" the Doctor was shouting, sounding rather muffled, and as Amy and I rounded the corner into the entrance hall we beheld a rather chaotic scene. Rory had just stumbled into the house, heavily laden with grocery bags and what looked like a big bag of yams dangling from the crook of his elbow. The unfortunate Doctor, on the other hand, lay sprawled out on the wooden floor, his own pile of groceries scattered around him along with what appeared to be the shattered remains of a large ceramic urn.

"That was a wedding gift from my mum!" Rory groaned, starting to set down his bags.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor groaned, painfully getting to his feet and frantically gathering the broken pieces and trying to press them back together. Amy and I couldn't hold back any more, but burst into laughter as our two boys whipped around with hugely guilty expressions on their faces.

"Oh I don't mind," Amy giggled, nodding towards the remains of the urn, "We can just get another one, it's not like your mum with mind, Rory."

"It's the principle of the thing," said a highly affronted Rory, glaring at the Doctor.

"Oi!" the Time Lord protested, finally dropping the pieces of ceramic to the ground and blushing furiously, "it was right in front of me, you would have done the same thing, Rory the Roman!"

Still chuckling, I walked over to my blushing husband, carefully straightening his jacket and bow tie as Amy rushed to Rory's aid. "What will we do with you..." I murmured, shaking my head at the Doctor as he glanced briefly into my eyes, a small smile playing around his mouth as his mind brushed against mine – his usual greeting. I smiled back, then turned towards Amy and Rory as the girl groaned suddenly and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"'Scuse me..." she mumbled, stumbling towards the staircase. Rory looked after her, then back at the Doctor and I. I raised my eyebrows at him, and he nodded.

"I'll, uh, be right back..." he said, turning to follow his ill wife up the stairs.

"Poor Amy..." I murmured, hugging the Doctor tightly.

"Mmmm..." he breathed into my hair, hugging me back with enthusiasm, "Rough day?" I nodded. "Ah, well, she'll be feeling more like herself in a few days," he continued, pulling back and scratching his cheek, "Humans tend to experience a balancing of he hormones progesterone and estrogen in mid-pregnancy which leads to a lessening in nausea..." I cut him off with a kiss, making him blink in surprise at me and smile shyly. I loved that I could still affect him that way.

"No dinner for me tonight, please," Amy called down the stairs, sounding exhausted, and then a moment later she added, "Wait! No, I take it back, I want ice cream! Rory?"

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><p><em>The long hallway stretches out in front of me again, hauntingly familiar, the clanking and the Doctor's cries for me making my hearts throb as I start to experience panic. Again, I hear the roar behind me, I know what I will see when I turn, so I keep running as fast as i can towards the Doctor. I feel an urge to turn and fight the creature which I can hear galloping after me, growling as it comes, but I focus instead at the stretching hallway, hearing the Doctor cry out again...<em>

_A sharp pain stabs through my back, and I cry out, stumbling forward and_

Wake up.

I hugged my knees to my chest, feeling the Doctor snuggle closer to me, more wakeful tonight, and he looked at me solemnly, his youthful face frowning slightly in concern.

"You've been dreaming a lot more than usual, hm?" he murmured, reaching out to gently stroke my shoulder.

I nodded. "Yes, since I became pregnant..."

He looked away for a moment, lost in thought, then sat up beside me, drawing me into his arms. "If you would like to talk about it, Hero, don't hesitate." I nodded, unable to speak, but I softly kissed his forehead and rested the side of my face against his hair.

Within me, the tiny life stirred against my mind. I smiled.


	2. The Fears Which Keep Us Awake

**Just a little Hero-y filler before things start to happen... Hope you enjoy! :)**

**Thanks for your kind reviews! :D**

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><p>The Doctor and I stayed with the Ponds for the rest of that week, helping them decorate their nursery (TARDIS blue, even if it turned out to be a girl). Gradually Amy's morning sickness began to subside, much to her joy as well as to the rest of us – it was slightly off-putting to have her sit down to eat a meal with us and then promptly bolt away, retching, while the rest of us stared down at our toast.<p>

The next afternoon Amy and I were both perched on stools, painting the walls, talking about the challenges we'd both be facing as mothers. I bit my lip as Amy told me of her fears, of having the child be in danger, of not being there to see it grow up, of having something terrible happen where it got hurt. These fears and more plagued me as I felt the tiny consciousness brush against my mind whenever I woke, letting me know that the child growing within me was already in some small way aware of my presence. What if, like Amy feared for her and Rory, the Doctor and I couldn't properly protect our baby? What if, God forbid, it was targeted by our enemies and taken away from us? Some of these fears I found I couldn't voice to Amy, even though I trusted her, because the fears were so primal and overwhelming if I confronted them. But the understanding look she gave me when I mentioned off-hand that I was nervous told me that she knew I wasn't just talking about giving birth – my red-head friend understood me far more than I was giving her credit, it seemed.

"Fancy lunch?" she asked after we'd painted two of the four walls, "It's nice to be eating without fear again," she added, chuckling as she let me help her down from her stool. As I did so, I stifled a yawn even though it was barely past noon. "You okay?" Amy asked, eyebrows raised.

"Oh yeah, just... just a bit tired, you know," I replied as casually as possible, "Had trouble getting to sleep..."

"Maybe you should tell the Doctor to leave you alone and let you rest," Amy chuckled, and I felt my face flush pink as I grinned at her. Before I could reply, however, there was an almighty crash outside in the backyard, followed by Rory swearing loudly. Rushing to the window, Amy and I both burst out laughing at the sight of the Doctor and the Roman attempting to put a new roof on the shed outside. Apparently Rory had toppled off, not hurting himself so much as being surprised at finding himself face-down in the mud. I shook my head at the two men, who were now both on the ground as the Doctor had jumped down rather ungracefully to see if his friend was okay.

"Nope, nothing broken!" he called up to Amy and I who were still leaning out of the nursery window.

"Soup time!" Amy called, before closing the window and giving me an amused look. I burst out laughing again, then followed her out of the room to go down to the kitchen.

It felt amazing to be with friends, despite how tired I was feeling every day.

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><p>Truthfully, despite my pregnancy, I was still feeling fine physically, though each night I found myself jerking awake after yet another vivid dream. In addition to the growing anxiety of what these new, more powerful dreams could mean, I felt slightly guilty that the Doctor would never get another night of uninterrupted sleep, no matter how much he protested that he didn't mind.<p>

"These dreams keep getting more and more creepy," I muttered angrily to myself the fifth night in a row I'd bolted upright, gasping for breath and finding tears on my face – I had no memory of crying.

The Doctor scanned me with his sonic screwdriver, always handy beside the bed, then looked even more confused when he saw the results. "There doesn't appear to be any unusual telepathic activity in your brain," he explained, setting the sonic down carefully and tugging me down into his arms. He rested a gentle hand on my belly, looking thoughtful. "Perhaps it really is just the hormones, Hero... But I know it's very stressful, and I'm sorry." I nodded, unable to meet his gaze, my hearts still thundering in my chest. In this most recent dream, the monster had had his eyes, his voice, and then I'd found myself stabbing the creature over and over as it slowly turned into the Doctor, bleeding and dying beneath my hands. I shuddered, closing my eyes tightly against the horrible image, and felt the real Doctor's arms tighten around me.

"Hero?"

I opened my eyes, meeting his ancient ones and seeing concern and worry there; I tried to look more relaxed, leaning forward slightly and letting him kiss me. I sighed against his mouth, willing myself to calm down and just enjoy being with him. _It was just a dream, just a stupid dream... _I pressed myself against him, smiling at his soft groan and sharp intake of breath. With trembling hands he laced his fingers through my hair, felt down my spine, caressed over my hips, drawing me even closer as his kisses continued to sooth me.

Some time later, we settled back down to sleep, and I rested my face on his chest. His hearts were still beating hard from our love-making, and he sighed happily as he tucked my hair back from my face and relaxed into sleep. I smiled softly to myself, looking out of the window at the setting moon. Sleep didn't come right away for me, but when it did, I soon found myself twitching awake once more – trying to keep quiet as I breathed hard in a panic against the Doctor's skin – dwelling once again on what my nightmares could possibly mean.


	3. The Best Hospital in the Universe

**Hello! Sorry for the little break... School kind of possessed me for a minute there, but I'm back now! Yay! :D**

**Review?**

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><p>The next night the Doctor and I bid Amy and Rory goodnight, and before the pair of humans had gotten all the way upstairs to their bedroom, the Doctor quietly took my hand and led me towards the front door.<p>

"What... what are you doing?"

He smiled at me rather apologetically as we squeezed through the doorway and he locked the door behind us with his sonic screwdriver. "I thought... well, I know you haven't been sleeping well lately, and I've been rather worried about you, so... I hope you won't be angry, but we'll be back to see the Ponds in the morning when they wake up, I promise..." He was rambling, which both made me smile and worried me slightly.

"Are we going somewhere? Doctor, I'm okay, honest, it's just a case of a few dreams..."

As we neared the waiting TARDIS, he fixed me with a sad, concerned look, stopping short and drawing me into his arms. "Hero." He just said that one word, and all at once the horror and darkness of my nightmares crashed over me, making me grip the front of his rough tweed jacket very tightly. A soft shudder, the feeling just before the start of tears, shook my body, and I met his ancient blue-green-hazel eyes with my own. "You see," he murmured gently, brushing a soft hand through my hair, "you've been trying to be brave for me, love, but honestly you're scared, and you have every right to be. I want to help you, I want to take the fear away." I nodded, my throat too tight to speak, and he pressed a soft kiss on my forehead. "Trust me?"

"Always."

Satisfied, the Doctor slipped his hand back in mine, unlocking the TARDIS doors and leading me through. Inside was the comforting sight of the console room, dimmed and quiet in rest. The old girl had been taking a break as well.

"So, Doctor, where are we going?" I asked, following him up to the console and leaning back against the railing.

"To the best hospital in the universe, run by the Sisters of the Infinite Schism," he called, twirling around the blinking lights and flicking levers as the TARDIS slowly hummed to life. "Not only are they comfortable with treating a Time Lady, but... well, they've got a lot of experience dealing with the darker aspects of the psyche. Oh, and pregnancy, they're good with that, since they're all women..." I smiled at him across the panels, and he looked up in apparent excitement; perhaps we'd stayed Earth-bound for too long, and even though this trip was to fulfill my needs, I could tell that he was rather looking forward to sending the time machine back among the stars.

"Women, hm?" I mused, "Aliens?"

"Yes," he replied, "Well, in a matter of speaking, a long time ago they were related to the human race, humans of the future. Now they're sort of like bipedal feline/human hybrids. Very sweet. Very kind. Usually..."

"Wait... they're cat women?"

"Okay, when you put it like that..." The Doctor sighed, pulling down the drive lever as the TARDIS shuddered around us into normal flight. I felt a swooping sensation in my belly, and I grinned; I'd missed this too.

"I didn't mean to be rude," I corrected myself, "It'll be... _interesting_. I always like meeting new people."

"I know you do," the Doctor chuckled, spinning gracefully over to where I was standing and poking me gently on the nose. I giggled, and then hung onto the railing for dear life as the TARDIS went into a spin, twisting and falling into the Time Vortex. I smiled as the Doctor slipped a protective arm around me, tugging me closer to himself until I could feel the throb of his hearts and the rise and fall of his breathing. "_Geronimo,_" he breathed into my hair, giving me a little squeeze.

"Let's get this baby checked out," I agreed, settling against the Time Lord as Idris carried us closer and closer to the space hospital. And I hoped with all my might they'd be able to give me answers.

The console room dipped and swayed as I clung to the Doctor, and within my mind a tiny presence yawned and stretched.

_Hello, little one..._

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><p>"We are very honored to have you here, Miss Smith," the feline nurse murmured, her velvety paws careful as she placed nodes on my upper chest and back, "After all the good deeds the Doctor has performed, it is only fitting that we return the favor by caring for his mate and unborn child." I smiled kindly at her, watching her movements.<p>

"Er, thanks... So, what exactly are you doing right now?" They given me a light airy gown to wrap myself in during their examination. Glancing to my right I saw the serious-looking Doctor, who was also watching the nurse's actions with a careful gaze.

"Oh, yes," the cat-nun replied, applying the last node and moving to take a look at the scanners, "We're just examining your cardiovascular system to make sure that everything is working properly. For the delivery."

"Ah, yes..." I tried to sound casual, but I couldn't help but swallow reflexively. Catching my eye, the nurse moved back towards me and patted my shoulder with a gentle, furred hand.

"You have no need to be concerned, miss, though I understand that feeling nervous is perfectly normal. I'm sure you'll perform admirably when the time comes." I felt myself smile at her rather clinical, albeit kind encouragement, and the nurse seemed satisfied at my reaction and went back to examining my vital signs and the data from the nodes on my skin. I felt the Doctor take my hand, squeezing it gently, and a quick glance at his pale face informed me that he hadn't really considered the implications of me being pregnant – the whole giving birth thing and all. My thoughts were interrupted as the nurse continued, "Your lungs are in fine working order, healthy capacity and muscular tone. Your _sinistram-postesque anterior cor_ is also in perfect condition. Blood pressure, the perfect complimentary rhythm for a binary cardiovascular system..."

"Sorry, my what?" I asked, completely confused.

The cat-nurse looked rather embarrassed. "Oh, forgive me, your left-side heart. I'm so used to defining each organ according to its purpose..."

"It's fine," I assured her, smiling, "So what's the right-side one called?"

"It's your _ius-postesque anterior cor_, and it's also very healthy. Nothing to worry about at all."

I felt somewhat relieved. "Oh good, thank you. Kind of weird talking about them, I haven't been to the doctor since... since I reverted back into a Time Lord."

"Especially now that you are with child," the nurse continued, starting to remove the nodes from my chest and back, "it would be best if you occasionally refer to a primary care physician to ensure the development of your baby. And to make sure _you're_ doing well, of course," she added with a kind smile, pulling off the last pesky wire and taking a step back.

"All finished?" the Doctor asked, slipping an arm around my shoulders.

"Probably not," I laughed, and the nurse agreed by nodding.

"We still would like to take a blood sample to test," she explained, "and of course the senior obstetrician would like to examine Miss Smith to make sure that everything is running smoothly in terms of the child."

"Ah," the Doctor replied, and I sensed that he was getting a bit antsy. Perhaps he didn't like having to sit back while these nurses and doctors – however kind – examined me. He was feeling protective, which was something about him I'd never get used to. I gave him a brief, soothing look. My Doctor, always so careful of me and nervous that something terrible was going to happen. _It's going to be fine, love, just be patient..._

"May I take some of your blood?" the cat-nurse inquired, and I nodded, offering her my left arm and biting my lip as she carefully sunk the long needle into the crook of my elbow. Rapidly the thin vial filled with the red fluid, and in a moment she'd swiftly removed the syringe and placed a little bandage where she'd poked me. "I'll have the results by the time you depart the hospital," she said, gathering up her supplies in preparation to leave. Beside me I felt the Doctor relax slightly; ever since that needle had gone into my arm he'd stiffened and moved closer to my side.

"Thanks, you've been very nice," I replied, nodding to her, and with a wide smile she parted the curtains of my cubical and left the Doctor and I alone.

The Doctor sighed, moving around in front of me and straightening my thin robe with careful hands. "Are you alright?" he murmured, searching my face for an answer. I laughed incredulously.

"Of course I am, silly, why wouldn't I be?" I reached out and cupped his jawline in growing concern as I noticed the worry etched into his young face.

"I'd... I'd forgotten the implications of your being pregnant," he muttered, looking down at his face and looking slightly embarrassed, "I can't help but wonder, what if the delivery doesn't go smoothly? What if... what if something happens? What if..." I silenced his worries with a kiss, drawing him close and breathing him in. He flailed for a brief moment, making me smile against his lips, and then he returned the kiss quite enthusiastically, his hands settling on my waist.

"_It will be fine, since I know that you'll be there to take care of me,_" I whispered, touching my forehead to his briefly and then pulling away as a knock at the door startled us.

"Hello?" called an older woman's voice, and the Doctor took a small step back from me and pulled the curtain aside to greet our next visitor. This cat-nurse seemed much older than the first, her delicate fur graying near the roots and her slim face slightly wrinkled with age.

"I am Dr. Simone," she smiled, nodding first to me and then to the Doctor, who was still a tad flushed from our kiss, I noticed. Turning back to me, the doctor added, "Miss Smith, your chart says you've been suffering from acute, vivid dreams?"

"Yes," I replied, sitting up a little straighter, "some of them have been rather frightening, and they're nearly always very similar. I was wondering if... if this is a normal reaction to my pregnancy hormones or something."

"Hm," the lady commented, carefully examining my face with her eyes, "Well, the blood tests will show any hormonal imbalance, but honestly this would seem to be a side-affect of your pregnancy. If they persist, however, perhaps a specialist in Time Lord endocrine systems could help you more than I." I nodded slowly, feeling a bit let-down that she didn't have all the answers right away. "Let's get you examined, okay?" the cat-doctor continued, patting me kindly on the shoulder, and she directed me to lie back. "I'm sure you're going to have a beautiful little girl or boy," she beamed, putting on white gloves and making sure I was comfortable before beginning her examination.


	4. Medical Instruments and Blue Hammocks

**It's been a while since we've had a funny chapter, so here you go! :)**

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><p>"Everything seems to be in order," Dr. Simone announced, helping me sit back up and straighten my hospital gown, "Your presentation is normal and, from what I can tell in this early stage, the infant is developing normally."<p>

"Thanks," I murmured, pressing my legs tightly together; pelvic exams were never very fun, no matter how careful and quick the person performing it was.

"Not at all," she replied, smiling at me kindly and removing her gloves, "Remember what I said about those dreams, Miss Smith... Don't hesitate to contact a universal endocrinologist if things don't improve. Our service members at the front desk should be able to provide you with a list of candidates, I'm sure..."

"Thanks so much," the Doctor murmured, smiling faintly. I'd almost laughed out loud at him halfway through my examination when he'd seen the speculum the cat-doctor would place inside me; he'd twitched violently, making an adorable little gulping noise, and I half-imagined that he was picturing the device being put in _him _in a rather uncomfortable manner... Not a very enjoyable experience to be sure, and I'd chuckled quietly to myself as the examination progressed and as the Doctor got paler and paler.

The cat-doctor took her leave, bowing slightly to the pair of us and sweeping from the room. The Doctor immediately jumped in front of me once more, patting me over and over on the shoulders while muttering something about some trip he had to the beach one time.

"Um, Doctor, what... what are you doing?" I laughed softly as he began to tug at my robe, unable to decide whether he was straightening it or simply examining the material. "I'm fine, silly..."

"Oh, I was just..." The Doctor dropped his hands to his sides at once, trying to look nonchalant. "You know, interesting conversation, distraction from the pain and all that..."

"I'm not in any pain, love, why would I be?" I raised my eyebrows at my flustered husband, watching his cheeks shift from pink to white and back to blushing again in a matter of seconds.

"She... that thing she used," He looked very uncomfortable, and I made a quick mental note to bring _Amy_ with me next time instead of the Doctor. "You flinched, I just assumed..."

"It was a bit uncomfortable, yes," I sighed patiently, "but it didn't really hurt. She was good, professional, probably the best gyno I've had." I shook my head at the silly Time Lord, who was still wringing his hands as he stared at me. The poor fellow was rather traumatized, and nothing had even happened to _him_. I gave him a swift kiss on the cheek, then hopped off the examination table. "Okay, I'm gonna get dressed..."

"Oh! Right!" the Doctor exclaimed, leaping back from me and quickly covering his eyes. I grinned at him and rolling my eyes in amusement. Like he'd never seen me without clothes before...With a small sigh I quickly got rid of the ridiculous robe and began to put on my own clothes once more. After spending an hour in nearly nothing at all it felt nice to be properly covered up again in things that felt familiar.

"So," the Doctor continued, slightly muffled behind his hands, "everything looked good, they said, that's encouraging, isn't it!"

"Yeah," I replied, "It helps a bit, you know, knowing that everything is okay..."

Hearing my relieved tone, the Doctor slowly lowered his hands to look at me very seriously. I was dressed now, fixing my hair, and he took a step closer, frowning slightly. "Were you worried, Hero? I mean, of course there's always things to worry about in pregnancy, of course, but... You've been more concerned than normal, am I right?" He spoke very softly, his arms slipping around me protectively as he looked into my eyes.

I bit my lip as my stomach clenched with familiar nerves. "I suppose, yeah, it's these stupid dreams... Each night they get more and more creepy, and more vivid and real-feeling. I know the nurse and the doctor said they're nothing, just side-affects of my hormones, but... I can't help it. I'm kind of scared."

"Oh, _Hero_," the Doctor murmured, pulling me close, "fantastic, lovely Hero, you don't need to be scared. We're going to figure something out, I've been working on an idea that may help you sleep better at night, and then we'll see where we stand, hm? I love you, and I want to take care of you..." I smiled up at him, letting him know that I was okay.

"I love you too, silly," I breathed, kissing first his chin and then his lips when he bent down slightly, "and next time I have to go to the doctor I'm going to bring Amy along, alright?"

"Sounds perfectly reasonable," he replied, gulping hard, "Though... let's not tell her why, eh? Oh, and I'm sorry I freaked out on you..."

"It's perfectly normal, I'm sure I wouldn't feel so great either if I had to sit in on your prostate exam..." I headed toward the door, chuckling as the Doctor once more went pale and a little bit green around the gills.

"Let's not go there..." he muttered thickly, then followed me from the examination room.

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><p>"So... we're going to sleep on the TARDIS tonight?" I asked, pushing the blue doors shut behind me and following the Doctor towards the center console.<p>

"I was hoping that the atmosphere might be conducive to you getting a peaceful sleep," he explained, flipping levers and sending us into space, "The additional protection from the old girl herself, along with a little help from me, may keep your brain in order so that normal REM sleep can occur." I smiled as the Doctor slipped into his big-words phase, looking very sure of himself as he pressed console buttons and tapped on the viewing screen to clear it up.

"I see," I replied, sidling up to him and taking his tweed-clothed arm, "and what exactly do you propose, Doctor?"

"Come and find out," he murmured, smiling slightly and taking my hand. Together we left the control room and began to head in the general direction of the kitchen. We stopped, however, in front of a wooden door with carvings of vines on it I'd never noticed before. With a grin, the Doctor soniced the doorknob, and the door itself swung open silently before us.

"Is this... Is this your room, Doctor?" I asked, peering curiously around at the blue room. It looked remarkably like mine, except a bit smaller, and the walls were lined with bookshelves. And there was no bed in sight. "I didn't know you had one, we always stayed in mine, so I thought..."

The Doctor was rocking back and forth on this heels in excitement, grinning from ear to ear as he led me inside and quickly shut the door behind us. "I do hope you like it," he exclaimed, spinning around in a little circle, "Isn't it perfect? The TARDIS made is especially for me when I regenerated into this body. Well, she always makes a new bedroom when I regenerate. Well, and sometimes just for fun in-between times. Do you see this floor rug? Isn't it magnificent?" He indicated a large, rather thick rug on the floor which was decorated with an entire school of green fish. I giggled in spite of myself, causing the Doctor to look slightly confused. "Don't you like it? It was made just for me, just the way I am right now. Do you know, she once gave my fifth body an entire set of bowling balls. He, I mean _I_, loved that... And Ten, the tenth me, he was really into bananas, so _his_ room had an entire banana tree grove growing right in the middle!"

"But where do you sleep?" I interrupted, and the Doctor gaped at me for a few seconds, looking like he hadn't really thought that part out.

"Oh, well, you see..." He strode over to one wall, pressed a small button there, and I jumped back and gasped as a very large, blue hammock swung down from the ceiling and hovered, quivering slightly, between us. "Tada!" the Doctor cried, leaping onto the thing and just managing to stay on as it swung back and forth dangerously.

"A hammock, cool..." I murmured, perplexed and amused as the Doctor held out his arms for me.

"Jump! Come on, I'll catch you, it's really quite comfy in here..."

"But... What if I hurt you?"

He waved that away. "Nah, come on, it's easy! Jump!"

I pursed my lips as I considered the best angle from which to launch myself so that I'd avoid making him a eunuch in the process. After a moment, I backed up a bit and then ran forward, leaping up and out as far as I could go, launching myself into the air and coming down rather heavily onto the waiting, beaming Doctor. He groaned as all the air got knocked out of him, but he locked his arms firmly around my body to keep me close as he gasped for breath.

"See?" he managed, smiling at me as I wiggled around to get comfortable, "Cool, yeah?"

"Yeah," I smiled, turning on my side to face him. Reaching out my hands I began to gently loosen his bow tie, watching his face grow serious as I carefully dropped the item over the side of the hammock to the floor and then started work on his braces. "If we're going to be on this thing," I explained, sliding my hands under his jacket so that I could slip it from his shoulders, "I think you'd be more comfortable like this, dear..."

"You're probably right," he sighed, assisting me with the jacket and then helping me get comfy as well. After a few moments, he carefully tucked his arms around me and grew my head under his chin. "You should fall asleep now, Hero, you've had a long day and night, and tomorrow the Ponds will want to hear all about it." I nodded, closing my eyes and breathing in the peppermint-cinnamon-lemon scent that was the Doctor.

"Will I have nightmares?" I murmured, unable to completely remove the concern from my voice. His arms tightening around me, pulling me even closer. The fingers of one of his hands gently stroked my hair, soothing me.

"I don't think so, because I will be trying something that may help." He pressed the top of my head firmly to the underside of his chin, and grew very still for a moment. "Close your eyes, Hero, and relax you mind..." I tried to do what he asked, opening my mind and then immediately feeling his presence slipping closer to mine.

_Hello,_ he thought, and I smiled.

_Hello, Doctor, what are you doing?_

_I'm going to attempt to create a telepathic layer between your conscious mind and your unconscious, hopefully keeping the bad images out so you can rest._

I gripping the front of his shirt tightly, pressing a soft kiss on his exposed throat where his bow tie usually rested. _Thank you, love..._

_Sleep now, Hero._

Relaxing further, I sighed happily and let myself slowly slip into unconsciousness.

And for the first time in a long time, I slept without nightmares, held gently in the arms of my Doctor as we swung slowly together in a hammock.


	5. Awakening

_Something was wrong._

_I stared down at my body. My stomach pressed outward, round and full of baby, and there was an odd ringing in my ears... Like an echo, but softer even than that. Without even thinking I spread my hands over my belly, feeling the firmness and the gentle movements beneath the tight skin. How could I be this pregnant? Was I dreaming? Grimacing slightly I pinched the flesh of my arm, wincing at the sharp pain. I must be awake._

"_Hero!"_

_A strangled cry made me jump and whirl around. In front of me stretched the familiar, dim hallway, and behind me the lights flickered and waned. "H-hello?"_

"_Hero... Please!" The Doctor was screaming for me, but I couldn't tell if he needed me by his side or if he was warning me away. _

"_Doctor! Doctor where are you?" I found myself starting to run towards his voice, my hearts thundering in my chest from the effort. Silence greeted me, and I began to panic, screaming, "Doctor! Please please please be okay!" I paused for a moment, gasping for breath, clutching my huge belly._

_Behind me, something snarled._

_I whirled around and was confronted with the beast with shining, hideous, Time Lord eyes. And the Doctor's voice as it growled, "You can't run any further, little girl..." I gasped, taking a step back as the real Doctor behind me yelled my name again._

"_O-oh? I can't?" I tried to sound brave, but the monster inched closer, part hairybeast, part human, part slimy worm._

"_No. He is mine now, and so is she..."_

"_Who? Who do you have? Let them go!" I backed away another step as the slimy, hairy figure leered, reaching out clawed hands._

_Sharp, bright pain lanced through my body, making me cry out and slump against the wall behind me._

_Then everything went black._

* * *

><p>I jerked awake, gasping for breath and reaching out for the Doctor blindly in the dark. The space next to me felt cold, and I stopped dead, my hands touching nothing but are.<p>

"Idris, lights," I gasped, sitting up and feeling the hammock sway beneath me. Slowly the lights brightened, and what I'd guessed was confirmed... The Doctor was not lying beside me. My throat closed as I looked wildly around his room, seeing only bookshelves and the edges of the fish rug. "Doctor?" I cried, breathing hard, "Doctor!" Real panic started to set in as my hearts crashed together. I fumbled with the side of the hammock, trying to find a way off, but as I leaned forward the whole thing tilted over completely and I found myself suddenly pressed into the floor. With a groan I slowly raised my head, gritting my teeth as I felt new bruises throb across my front. Someone moaned softly beside me, and as I rolled over onto my side I beheld the prone figure of the Doctor.

"Oh, silly love, did you fall off too?" I slid underneath the hammock towards him, reaching out to grasp his tweed sleeve. "Are you okay? I thought..." I trailed off as I got close enough to see his face. He was asleep still, even though I was now tugging on him fairly hard, calling his name. "Doctor? Doctor, wake up... Can you hear me?" He didn't respond, just lay very still on the ground. I felt myself grow cold as I reached out and touched the side of his face. He was still warm, his chest rising and falling slowly, but he didn't move as I called for him again, louder this time.

Nothing.

"Oh no, okay, what's happened to you..." I sat up next to his prone form, taking his face in my hands and trying to find his mind with my own. I was met with an odd feeling of resistance, hardly the warm swirl of facts and emotions I usually encountered when I got into his head. He stirred for a moment, groaning softly, but then went still again and I stared down at him in numb shock. He wasn't going to wake up.

"Doctor! Please don't do this to me, not now, come on..."

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><p><strong>Sorry that was so short! More on the way! :)<strong>

**Review? :D :D :D**


	6. Sensing the Monster

**Hi! :) Things are about to get crazy... :D**

**Please review! *hug***

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><p>Fumbling in the pocket of my jeans, I pulled out my cell phone and speed-dialed Rory's phone.<p>

"Please pick up, please pick up... come on..." The ringing continued for a few moments as I held my breath and stroked the unconscious Doctor's hair, still trying to wake him.

At last, "H'lo?" murmured a groggy Rory; apparently it was still the middle of the night for them.

"Rory! Hi! Um, it's Hero, the Doctor and I are in the TARDIS and... Something's happened to him." I tried to keep my voice steady, but the too-still face of the Time Lord on the floor was making me start to feel panicky.

"What? Oh, right, TARDIS..." Rory mumbled, and in the background I could hear Amy's voice, a soft concerned murmur. "Is it... where you parked it? Or are you on your way?"

"The Doctor took me to the hospital for a check-up," I babbled, "and everything is fine, and this nurse took my blood and everything, and then he parked us in your backyard and we went to take a nap and... Rory, I can't get him to wake up." The honest fear coursing through me finally surfaced in my voice, making me choke on the last few words, and for a long moment Rory didn't speak.

"Okay, right... Hang on, we're on our way..." Then the line went dead, and I stood up shakily, staring down at the Doctor with a heavy heart. I backed towards the door, keeping him in my sight, then found the knob with my hand behind me and opened it. Down the hall I heard a loud crash as the two Ponds apparently burst into the TARDIS, then their cries for me rang out in the time machine and I aswered them.

"Down here! In the Doctor's room!" A moment later, the two human appeared, running breathlessly down the hallway, still in their night things. "He's in here... I'm so sorry to wake you..." Amy waived me off, but Rory just bounded past me into the room, stopping dead when he saw the décor.

"So... Um, this is his room, then?" he managed, and then Amy gasped as she caught sight of the Doctor.

"What happened?" she cried, taking several steps closer to the Time Lord and then stopping to look back at me.

"I... I'm not sure," I murmured, feeling a bit in shock, "I've been having these really creepy dreams lately and I couldn't sleep, so the Doctor figured out a way to block them with his mind so I could get some rest, and... It worked for a while, but then suddenly I was dreaming again and this creature was telling me it _had _him..."

"Had him?" Rory repeated, now kneeling beside the Doctor and searching for a pulse and for his breathing.

"Yeah, and then I freaked out and woke up and... apparently the Doctor had slipped off the hammock and then I couldn't wake him up."

Amy closed her eyes briefly, then opened them to watch Rory's administrations. "How is he?" she asked, trying to look calm.

"His pulses are strong, and he's breathing normally," Rory began, carefully sliding open the Doctor's eyes to peer at them. They were blank and empty, so different from their usual ancient vitality and emotion. My hearts ached, and it was all I could do not to weep at the sight of those lifeless green-gold eyes.

"I tried to reach onto his mind, but it felt like something was in the way," I added, kneeling down by the Doctor's head and reaching out a shaking hand to touch his shoulder.

"Can you normally get in with no problem?" Amy asked, sitting on the floor at the Doctor's feet, and I nodded mutely. My gaze was focused on the still face in front of me, the face which always looked so young and peaceful in sleep. _Oh Doctor, what have you done to yourself..._

"We need to get him into the sick bay," Rory continued, businesslike, "get him scanned, stabilized, maybe see if there's something in his mind trying to manipulate him..."

I nodded again, and the three of us gathered closer around the Doctor, lifting different parts of him and pulling him out from under the hammock. Amy had his knees, Rory his hips and back, I his shoulders and head. I tried my best to support his neck, to keep from injuring him, though the tall gangly Time Lord was quite heavy despite his slender frame. Breathing heavily, the three of us bore the Doctor from his bedroom and out into the hall. "Where is it?" I gasped, quickly shifting my hold on his arms to keep his head from rolling limply backwards. After a second I managed to prop his head on my shoulder, feeling his hair brush against my neck and ear on that side. _Just hang in there love, if you can hear me, everything's going to be just fine..._

"This way," Rory grunted, and we stumbled heavily down the hall towards the control room. I felt grateful when the double doors of the sick bay soon came into view, already propped open; the old girl was helping us care for her unconscious thief. "On that table," Rory breathed, helping Amy and I hoist the Doctor without dropping him too heavily, and once his body was down I set his shoulders and lastly his head as gently as I could. I kept my hand on him, stroking his hair carefully and keeping my eyes on the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. There was still no flicker of recognition in my mind, nothing to tell me that he was even there. It was like... _It's like he's not there at all._ At this chilling thought I raised stricken eyes to Amy, who was standing a few feet away with clenched hands clasped in front of her. She met my gaze, understanding and worried all at once, and I wondered how many times we'd have to do this.

"Nodes," Rory muttered, gathering up a handful of them, and I quickly moved around to the side of the Doctor and got busy unbuttoning his shirt and removing his bow tie so that the nodes could be attached. In a moment the nurse began pressing the small metal objects onto the Doctor's pale skin, glancing every few seconds towards the screen beside the bed to make sure that they were working properly. "Heart function... good," he said, placing the last node and taking a step back, "yeah, it looks like all of his internal organs are functioning normally, at least as far as I could tell. Hero, why don't you take a look..." I was slightly taken aback at his request, but nodding I peered at the results, moistening my dry lips as I quickly surveyed the long list of numbers.

With a quick movement I withdrew my pink sonic screwdriver from my pocket, scanning myself with a flick of a wrist and then comparing the results to the Doctor's vital signs. "They seem... similar, though these readings don't include his mental state. On a whim I scanned the Doctor himself, paying special attention to his head area, and raised the device to my eyes to read the results.

He was alive, physically healthy, breathing slowly and deeply to supply oxygen to his brain... but he wasn't there. The mind of my Doctor was hidden from me, but whether he was truly absent or just hidden from view, the sonic couldn't tell me.

* * *

><p>"What the hell are we going to do then?" Amy cried, his pale face streaked with tears.<p>

"I... I don't have the faintest idea," I replied, trying to keep from raising my voice at her, "but I have to try to reach him. I have to try to see if there's something holding him in, whether I can break through or not..."

"Like... a mind-meld thing?" Rory stammered, "like a Star Trek thing?"

"I guess, yeah sort of," I sighed, "I don't _know_! I've never done this before... I don't have a clue what's going to happen." I began to get ready, turning the Doctor's table at a slight angle so that I could reach his face better. With trembling hands I gently clasped the side of his head, taking a few steadying breathes as I heard the Ponds protest behind me.

"Be careful!" Amy cried, "Don't let it suck you in too!"

I closed my eyes, visualizing a center within myself, and then leaned forward over the Doctor and pressed my forehead to his. I surged outward with my mind, seeking his, trying to keep a good amount of myself grounded so that I could retreat quickly if I had to.

_Doctor? Doctor, are you there? Let me in, love..._

A sudden shock surged through me, a strong sucking, pulling sensation which ebbed against the edges of my mind and urged me forward. I was faintly aware that my grip on the Doctor's temples had increased, that Amy and Rory were shouting things, but my senses felt dimmed compared to the powerful telepathic pull I felt originating from the Doctor's mind.

_YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT ME FOR HIM, IF YOU WANT HIM BACK._

I reeled, struck by the words in every part of my mind like a slap of fire. _Who... who is this? Why have you go the Doctor? Let him go!_

_AND LOSE MY MOST POWERFUL ASSET? NO. YOU'LL HAVE TO GET HIM BACK YOURSELF, FOR I WON'T RELEASE HIM WILLINGLY. LITTLE CHILD._

My mind clenched within itself against the telepathic assault, coiling tighter and tighter as I tried not to slip away entirely into the clutches of a power I did not fully understand. It felt like it would standing at the foot of a very tall skyscraper, looking upwards, only aware of the height but not of the windows and the number of feet to the top. _Doctor... Please, Doctor, it's me... Are you there?_

_YOU WANT PROOF? HE IS HERE._

I suddenly became aware of a fluttering consciousness, close to my own, ebbing and fading back and forth like a flame flickering in a light breeze. As I tried to get closer, to feel it with my mind, it suddenly quivered and flickered harder as if the proverbial flame had been blown on – nearly going out, but then burning again.

_Hero..._

_Doctor!_ I reached further towards the consciousness, vaguely aware that if I went too far I'd go tumbling into the thoughts of whatever was holding the Doctor prisoner. _Doctor, are you okay?_

_Hero, I..._ The thought was cut off as the energy pulsed and flailed, flickering again and falling and shrinking away, and I realized with a surge of horror that what I was feeling was the consciousness of the Doctor being beaten back, being struck to keep him away from me, and his mind was shuddering in pain. Anger made my mind glow golden-hot, and with a supreme effort I opened my eyes, raising my head and looking at the shocked pair of Ponds.

"Something has him. It's hurting him. And I have to go back in there and fight it to get him back."


	7. Imposters and Fake Cups of Tea

**Hero is going to face an interesting challenge... I was inspired by "Amy's Choice" and "The Almost People" for this one, but no rip-offs! Those episodes just got me thinking, and this is what my strange mind came up with... :D**

**Thank you as always for your kind reviews. They help me keep writing! :) *luvs***

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><p>"I know this is going to be hard for you both, but I need you to get out of the TARDIS." I looked between Rory and Amy, reading their reluctance and worry. My hands were clenched at my sides, my breathing steady but quickening; I probably looked a bit mad, the knowledge of what I was about to do burning hot in my eyes. "I don't want either of you get hurt," I tried to explain, taking a slow step towards the Ponds, as they looked me up and down and then glanced at each other. "I don't know what kind of side effects this… creature… will have on non-Time-Lords, I don't want anything to happen, so… I'm going to fly the TARDIS into the vortex and do it there."<p>

"Okay, okay," Amy soothed me; the agitation had risen in my voice, and with a careful hand she patted my shoulder. "Here, give me you phone, so we can call you on the TARDIS line." I nodded, pulling out the small object from my pocket and placing it in her outstretched hand.

"I need to roll the Doctor's bed into the control room," I murmured, looking at Rory, and without blinking he stepped over to where the Doctor was lying and grasped the handles of the bed. It had wheels, so moving the unconscious Time Lord was easier than I'd hoped. Amy trailed behind us as we moved carefully down the corridor towards the main console room, her feet barely making a sound on the smooth floor. I knew she was watching me from behind, worrying about me.

"There," Rory finally said, sliding the Doctor's bed onto the glass floor of the console and taking a step back. Now the three of us stood in awkward silence for a moment, just looking at each other and thinking about what to do next.

"What're you… what are you going to do?" Amy asked, her blue eyes huge in her pale face.

I took a slow breath before answering. "The Doctor and I… we're telepathic. So whatever has captured the Doctor has him imprisoned inside his own mind. I've been dreaming about it, it's almost like an entire world inside the Doctor's head that this thing, this alien, has invaded. I'm going to try and get inside, to free the Doctor." I didn't tell them about the details of my dreams, I couldn't, not when a few of them had featured the monster slowly turning into the Doctor himself as I killed it with my bare hands. For a moment those terrible images swam before my eyes, and I closed my lids hurriedly to banish them. I opened them again when I felt someone hug me. Amy's red hair spilled across my face as she squeezed the breath out of me, her round pregnant belly pressing into me. I was rather startled.

"Bring him back," she whispered, giving me a final rib-cracking squeeze before taking a step back.

I nodded silently, meeting her gaze for a second before looking down. Rory offered me a half-hearted smile, retreating with his wife towards the TARDIS doors and then taking one last look back at me standing beside the sleeping Doctor. Amy didn't look back, she stepped outside and vanished from view almost at once. After a moment, Rory followed her, closing the doors behind him.

_Alright, old girl, now it's up to you and me…_

Without a pause, the drive lever swung over sharply without my assistance, and the TARDIS hummed as it began to depart. Nothing could really surprise me anymore, so I just dutifully walked round and round the console, pulling and flipping the levers I knew the Doctor always used, pressing the three same buttons in sequence like I'd seen him do so many times before.

"See? I can do it all my myself," I murmured towards the silent Time Lord, watching his still face for a flicker, a faint fluttering of the eyelashes to show that he could hear me, that he was proud of my skills. He remained perfectly still, though, and I felt my hearts clench and throb with sorrow.

After a few moments, the TARDIS was in full flight in the vortex, and I began to talk to her again: "We just need to stay here for a while, just until I can come back with the Doctor. You understand that, don't you? I need to go find the Doctor, but I need you to keep us here where we're safe…" I didn't expect any response, but the TARDIS hummed and I thought for sure I felt something like a warm consciousness brush against my mind. Idris, too, wanted her thief back safe and sound.

I could feel my pulses speed up and my chest constrict with nervousness as I approached the Doctor, watching his face for movement. There still was none, so I swung up onto the bed beside him, shifting around until I was reasonably comfortable; I didn't want to risk falling over onto the floor while standing, breaking the connection half-way through. Then I raised my hands to the side of his face, letting my arms rest against him so that they wouldn't slip, and I shuffled closer and closer until I was near enough to rest my forehead against the side of his head. I sighed, closing my eyes, breathing him in for a moment without opening my mind. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, but my hearts burned without him there, and I had to get him back.

I reached out.

There was little resistance this time, and I found myself tumbling forward into the space where the Doctor's mind normally was, grasping mentally for support to keep myself back from going in entirely. I wasn't quite ready to do that yet.

_AH. BACK AGAIN, I SEE…_

I grimaced, feeling around in the dark emptiness for any shred of the Doctor's consciousness, but there was nothing.

_I'm here to take the Doctor back._

_I SEE. I WILL NOT RELEASE HIM WILLINGLY, LITTLE CHILD, SO I EXPECT YOU WILL HAVE TO BE RATHER… IMPRESSIVE._

_You've picked the wrong wife to piss off._

_WE'LL SEE. IT'S TIME TO PLAY ACCORDING TO MY RULES, NO ACCEPTIONS._

_Oh yeah? So what are your rules?_

_RULE ONE: I LIE._

_You're trying to mess with me by using the Doctor's rules against me. Who the hell do you think you are?_

_RULE TWO: I ALSO TELL THE TRUTH. AND I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS CHATTER._

Suddenly any part of myself I'd been clinging to was yanked away, and I found myself tumbling forward into the blackness, feeling my consciousness wrap around me like a cloak as I fell, losing all sensation of my body for a moment until all that was left was a single flame, burning hot and true in the core of my mind.

* * *

><p>Everything flickered and I found myself sitting in the TARDIS kitchen, at the table, a mug of peppermint tea clutched in my hand. For a moment all I could do was stare at the blue mug, the steam rising from the liquid inside, and then I heard the Doctor call from outside the room.<p>

"How is your tea? Is it helping? The chemicals in peppermint are known to relax the muscles of the stomach…"

And then I realized, I'd been here before. This exact scene had happened about two weeks ago, before we'd gone to visit the Ponds, before I'd prescribed peppermint tea to a morning-sickness-plagued Amy. And I remembered what was going to happen next; the Doctor was going to stride in, looking rather pleased with himself when I told him I was feeling better, and then he would proceed to trip over his own feet, and I would catch him.

The Doctor who came in was not _my _Doctor.

I recoiled, watching the red-eyed facsimile of the Time Lord edge towards me, griming widely. "You remember this day, don't you?" he, no _it_ said, plopping down in the chair opposite me as the red began to fade away into the Doctor's usual eye color. "His head is just stuffed full of these sickening little moments, each one more sentimental and _loving_ than the last. Makes me want to be sick…" I glared at this man who looked so like the Doctor but sounded nothing like him.

"Who are you?" I spoke quietly, but my fist gripped the handle of the tea mug like a grenade, prepared for anything.

The person chuckled softly, its eyes now faded into the soft green-brown I was used to, but there was no gentleness or excitement behind those eyes, only a vague, creepy interest as it stared straight back at me. "Me? Silly old me? You will find, Hero Smith the Hero," I recoiled at his use of my nickname, feeling filthy, "you will find that there are _many_ versions of me, many versions of the Doctor, and only one of them. One. Is the right one. And you'll have to guess which one, you'll get, oh let's say… I'm in a good mood, so I'll give you three chances to choose the real Doctor. After that, you will be mine. Always. No exceptions. No returns."

For a moment I wanted to speak but couldn't make any sound come out of my mouth. Then, "O-okay, you think I won't be able to spot the real Doctor when I see him. Fine."

"Oh yes, it _is_ fine," the thing murmured, it's eyes staring weirdly into mine. So like the Doctor and so not. "You think you know the Doctor so well, don't you? You're his wife, carrying his child… You're an arrogant fool. And you will not win."

I placed a protective hand over my stomach at the mention of our baby, as if I was trying to hide it from this imposter's thoughts. It only laughed cruelly, and then the scene faded as quickly as it had come and I was left in darkness.


	8. The First Challenges

**In which Hero gets to see different sides of the Doctor... Or _is _it really him? Hmm? ;)**

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><p>"WILL YOU KNOW YOUR PRECIOUS DOCTOR WHEN YOU SEE HIM?"<p>

"I sure as hell hope so..."

"_WE SHALL SEE..._"

The world swirled around me and suddenly I was standing in some sort of exotic pub. There was music blaring, and women, green and alien twirled and swayed seductively on a raised platform. The crowd jeered and clapped at their performance, the male aliens in the audience especially appreciative of the half-naked bodies, the swirling hips and hands and green hair.

At a small table to the side of the stage sat... the Doctor. He looked normal, he was in his usual clothes and appeared to be drinking lemonade. But his face had an expression on it I'd never seen; he was staring at the nearest dancer, eyes narrowed slightly with lust as he watched her hips circle and sway back and forth. He smirked when she looked over at him, licking him lips and raising a delicate eyebrow. The woman bared her teeth at him, hissing and thrusting her chest out towards him, and he smirked wider and shifted slightly in his seat, apparently aroused.

I snorted.

"Sorry about that, um, whoever you are out there doing this, but _that..._ well that's just silly... I'm not sure the Doctor is even aware that there is such a thing as sexy dancing, never mind the fact that I'm his wife and I'm pregnant with his child..."

The Doctor sitting at the table turned towards me, suddenly aware of my presence, and for one terrible moment I thought that I was wrong, that my husband was a frequenter of alien brothels and lusted after green snarling women, but then the creature's eyes glowed red briefly and the scene dissolved.

In the darkness, my captor chuckled. _"YOU ARE CORRECT. **THIS** TIME. THE NEXT SHALL NOT BE SO EASY."_

The scene swirled before my eyes once more.

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><p>"If you're a Doctor, why does your box say police?" a little red-haired girl asked, looking skeptically at the Doctor. We were in a kitchen, it was night outside, and the Doctor was wearing a blue shirt that was mussed and his hair was wet. I chuckled; he'd never look like such a mess now.<p>

The Time Lord didn't answer the little girl, but instead accepted a round object from her, sniffed it, and took a bite. _An apple._ He chewed for a moment, then spit it out onto the floor, coughing and apparently completely grossed out. "That's disgusting," he said matter-of-factly, "What is that?"

"An apple," the little girl replied, perplexed.

"Apples are rubbish, I hate apples."

"You said you _loved_ them..."

"No, no, no, I love yogurt! Yogurt's my favorite, give me yogurt."

The little girl sighed, then patiently went to the fridge and took out a small container of the food for him. He ripped off the top eagerly, tipping back his head and drinking from in like it was a cup of milk instead of yogurt. I grinned; this was just like the Doctor. This must have been when he met Amy for the first time, when he'd just regenerated and was all mad and wobbly... and _hungry..._ He polished off the entire container of yogurt in one go, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and grinning goofily.

"Splendid, yes, yogurt is my new favorite... New mouth, new tastes, I suppose..." I laughed aloud, and little Amy looked relieved.

"_WELL?"_

I looked up, annoyed. "Well, what? Of course it's him, that's exactly how he acts sometimes... silly man..."

"_I'M SORRY, MY DEAR, BUT YOU'RE QUITE WRONG. HE DIDN'T LIKE THAT FOOD, OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER, EXCEPT FOR FISH FINGERS AND..."_

"Custard..." I breathed in horror, as the scene began to fade away and the fake Doctor's eyes glowed red at me before the darkness descended completely. How could I have not remembered that? His favorite food, mad as it sounded, and I was his wife and I'd forgotten. I smacked my head in the darkness. "But that's hardly fair, you're using memories I've never seen before! Yes, the big stuff stands out, but _this..._"

"_ONE STRIKE DOWN, TWO TO GO..."_

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><p>Light blared for a moment, nearly blinding me, and I stumbled back against something smooth and cold. Then the light dimmed almost completely as I opened my eyes. I was standing in a darkened room which was lined with brick walls. Steam vented here and there from the ceiling, and it was freezing. I shivered, rubbing my arms in an attempt to warm myself.<p>

I grimaced, squinting slightly as I tried to see into the gloom. Suddenly a door at the far end burst open and the Doctor himself charged in, his young-old face fallen in sorrow. Amy Pond soon followed him in, calling for him.

She approached him slowly, cautiously, like she was afraid of him, then murmured, "I'm sorry... What I said about you being 'almost the Doctor,' it's just... it's just really hard because I've been through so much with him." The Doctor grimaced in pain, his back to her, and she stammered, "I've even seen... I-I've even seen part of his..." She paused, swallowing hard, then asked, "Can you die?"

She continued to talk, but I focused on the Doctor's face; I had to see if this was really him, being forced to re-live a part of his life I'd never seen, or just an imposter.

"Why?" the Doctor murmured suddenly, and I frowned.

"_Why?" _Amy responded, sounding incredulous, "Because you invited us to see it... You're _dead._"

She cried out and I jumped and gasped as the Doctor whirled around and grabbed at her with great strength. He slammed her rather roughly against the brick wall. "Why?" he growled, "That's all I have to say, why?"

Amy's face was absolutely terrified. "You're hurting me!" He didn't release her, and I stepped forward in horror, realizing that they could neither see nor hear me. _Is this... did this really happen?_

The Doctor started to rant at Amy about he could feel people in his head, people they both knew were going to die. As he spoke his face looked utterly mad, twisted with grief and deep, deep anger. Much deeper and darker than I'd ever seen it.

Amy looked at him with such disgust and fear that I felt tears prickle in my eyes; with a final look of loathing she jerked herself away from the distraught Doctor, running headlong from the room and leaving the shaking Time Lord behind looking unbelievably ashamed of himself.

"No..." I murmured, looking up at the ceiling, pleading, looking for our tormentor, "This cannot be him..."

And the Doctor actually looked at me, he _saw _me, and there were tears in his eyes – their normal color – as he whispered, "I'm... I'm so sorry you had to see that... Please, Hero..." And then he shuddered in pain, falling into a fetal position, and then everything faded away again.

"_THAT IS YOUR SECOND STRIKE. YOU NOW HAVE ONLY ONE MORE CHANCE, AND THEN YOU WILL BE MINE."_

Somewhere in the darkness between scenes I gasped to myself; that had really happened, the Doctor had let out his darkest side. I alternated between feeling deeply shocked and deeply empathetic. He carried so much pain around with him, all the time, and he was so ashamed of it that he couldn't bring himself to show me, his wife. He waited and waited until he couldn't hold it back any longer, until it burst from him with agonizing results.

_Poor man... My poor, poor Doctor..._


	9. Two More Games

**Sorry about that long break! Spring Break is approaching fast, which means school is just crazy with assignments right now! Noooo... :P**

**And I'll publish more soon, I promise!**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing! *huggles* :D**

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><p>The next three scenes were fake, and I guessed correctly.<p>

But it never met my mind for one second that one incorrect guess could get me sucked into the mind of this... this _creature..._ forever. Somewhere in my brain, bright and small, I could sense that I still had the freedom to remove myself from the Doctor's mind, that I could stop playing the game, at any moment that I choose. I just couldn't bring myself to leave him all alone in there, even to regroup and try again. Not yet.

"_YOU STILL HAVE ONLY ONE CHANCE, GIRL. BE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT MAKE AN ERROR._"

"Go screw yourself."

I was in no mood to discuss how much "fun" I was having; the most recent memories had been painful to watch, since each of them involved real the things I knew the Doctor had experienced in his past. I just wasn't always sure how he'd reacted at that time. When the Master died, as I'd been shown in the most recent memory, the Doctor had wept, yes, but then the fake version of him smiled and dropped the other Time Lord heavily on the floor. If I'd guessed too soon, I wouldn't have seen that crucial mistake – I would have lost.

But I guessed right, and I kept guessing right, but now I was faced with a very weird scenario.

The Doctor, whether real or not I could not tell, was advancing towards me in a small, empty room. I had no memory of this, but he was looking straight at me – he could see me just fine – so I wondered whether it was actually someone else for whom I was a replacement or just... myself. His darkened eyes burned into mine as he drew nearer and nearer, his hands reaching out to clasp my wrists tightly and push me up against the wall, trapping me there. I stared up into his eyes, confused, feeling his body pressing completely against mine, his chest rising and falling against my hearts. I struggled, but he held me fast and began to nuzzle at the side of my neck, his warm breath against the skin below my ear. I flinched as he nipped my throat with his teeth, but then I realized that something about what was happening felt vaguely familiar.

Then I laughed.

"It didn't happen like this, not at all..."

And then water began to fall down around us. We were in my blue-tiled shower on the TARDIS, and the Doctor raised his head and looked at me with his normal, grateful eyes, not predatory at all, and I smiled. I'd guessed correctly.

"_PITY... I THOUGHT FOR SURE THAT CHANGING A FEW THINGS WOULD STUMP YOU... NOW WE'LL JUST HAVE TO TRY ANOTHER GAME, I SUPPOSE..._"

I looked up sharply, and the Doctor tightened his grip on my waist. "Wait, you said that once I'd found him, you'd release him to me!"

"_I PROMISED NO SUCH THING._"

I grimaced as my Time Lord brain informed me that the creature was right. It hadn't promised anything except that if I lost, I would _be_ lost.

_Shit._

"_GUESS I'LL JUST HAVE TO..._" The Doctor stiffened in my arms, gasping as if in pain, and with a fleeting look of anguish vanished in front of me. I shouted in surprise, feeling the air for a tiny shred of his presence, then stood there stupidly with tears running down my face. I'd lost him again. The games were far from over.

"Okay, okay," I managed, trying to stay calm despite the fact that somewhere in this creepy consciousness I could feel it laughing at me, "Before we continue, I say... We need some guidelines. Um, how about... If I lose the next two games, you get to keep me."

"_HMM. I SEE. AND?_"

"And... If I _win_ the next two games, whatever they are, I get to keep the Doctor. And you'll have to leave. Deal?" It was difficult to keep my voice from shaking, I was so angry and nervous and tired of dealing with this... person.

"_DEAL. I SHALL ENJOY THIS..._"

"More than you've enjoyed it already?" I snapped, glaring upwards towards the ceiling. Water continued to fall around me, but I wasn't getting damp from it.

The thing chuckled, fading away, retreating, and then I sunk once more into darkness.


	10. A New Sort of Challenge

__**I'm baaaack! Thanks for being patient :)**

**Two chapters at once! Your reward for being awesome!**

**Review? *hugs***

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><p><em>I'll be back...<em>

_"VERY WELL. BUT HURRY... I MAY LOSE PATIENCE..."_

And tugging on the gold thread leading me back into consciousness, I emerged from the Doctor's mind, blinking open my eyes slowly.

I lay as I had before, on my side beside the unconscious Time Lord, my hands placed carefully and my forehead resting against the side of his head. Around us the dimly-lit TARDIS hummed in flight, small lights on the console beside me flickering and blinking to indicate that we were nowhere in particular, but rather sailing through the vortex.

I sat up, slowly because my body felt stiff; I wondered how long I'd been lying there, trying to find the Doctor's consciousness, and then my stomach rumbled painfully in hunger. _A few hours, a couple of days?_ The console didn't off me too many answers, since I wasn't as good at understanding the strange Gallifreyan symbols on the screen as the Doctor was.

"But he's not here, is he..." I murmured to myself, leaning heavily against the console and looking at the Doctor's still, calm face. My hands gripped on the edge of the platform as my eyes strayed to the various levers and plotters; I really wanted help to get the Doctor out of this predicament, and now that I had a pact with... whatever... was holding him, I felt like I actually had a chance if I got others to work with me. But who?

"Of course you can't help yet, little one," I breathed to my stomach, laying a protective hand over the small bump as I felt a flutter in my mind, "We'll just have to find someone else who's actually grown up, okay? No hard feelings, right?" There was no obvious response, but the TARDIS hummed louder around me as though she could understand my unborn child's feelings. I smirked, then sobered again at once as I gazed at the Doctor. I felt cheated having him pulled away from me again. It occurred to me that I had the worst luck, that _we_ had the worst luck; ever since we'd gotten married the whole universe seemed stacked against us, set on tearing us apart, on hurting us, on hurting those close to us.

_But isn't that what the Doctor has always had to endure? Last of the Time Lords... And now I'm the last Time Lady, so I suppose I had it coming to me..._

I softly brushed a hand over the panel of buttons on front of me, contemplating where to go. I knew Jack Harkness was out in the universe somewhere, probably flirting with someone and flashing his cheeky smile which did a good job covering up his inner pain. But honestly, I wasn't sure he could help in this situation, whether he couldn't die or not; as far as I knew, he had no obvious mental abilities, being human, and even though he'd probably be willing to try anything, I couldn't bring myself to ask him.

I also knew that the Doctor had several human companions who were still living on Earth during Amy and Rory's time, but I hadn't met any of them... I thought hard about whether any of them had displayed any tendency towards telepathy, but all I could think of was the brief conversation I'd had with the Doctor about his companion Rose – the girl who became the Bad Wolf for an hour – but I knew that she was locked safely away in another universe with a human copy of the Doctor. With a sigh of frustration I closed my eyes briefly, still touching the buttons with shaking fingertips. Was it really the truth that I was alone in this? Was I really going to have to go solo in the rescue of the Doctor?

The telephone rang.

My hearts crashed in my chest for a moment at the bell-like sound, pushing me back into the here and now. I stared at the receiver for a moment, breathing hard, then moved into auto pilot and scooped it up.

"Hello?"

"Oh, thank God..." a panicked man's voice breathed, then a throat was cleared and he continued, "Hero? Is... is that you?"

I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that it was Rory. Only Rory Williams... A freaked out, panicking Rory Williams... "Rory! Of course it's me, what's going on? What's wrong?"

"I... Okay, I wasn't sure if I'd be getting you in the right time line order, but at least you know who I am, so..."

"Rory, you're rambling. What the hell is going on?"

"Right, right, Amy's in labor."

I paused for a moment in thought.

"Wait," I said, frowning, "You're a nurse, Rory Williams, don't you know what to do?"

"Yes! Yes, I do, but... Hero, I was at work, and she called me saying her water had broken, and then she called a taxi to take her to the hospital in Upper Leadworth because we don't have an ambulance..."

I make a choked noise somewhere a laugh and a gasp, but Rory went on, "I know! I know, but she hasn't gotten here, it's been much too long, the police are looking along the route between towns, but they can't find anything! I don't know what to do, but you've got the TARDIS! Please, couldn't you find her?"

I swallowed hard. "Of... of course, Rory, I'll..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say. I tried again, "I will do everything I can, Rory, of course! It's just, the Doctor is still unconscious, and it's only me. It's only me, Rory..."

There was silence on the other end of the line, and I could sense that Rory understood what I was trying to say; I wasn't very experienced yet when it came to flying the TARDIS, so pinpointing Amy's location would be difficult. Very difficult.

"I see, yeah," Rory murmured, and I could hear the frozen ache in his voice, "Hero... They can't find the car."

That was enough for me, and I whirled into action, still hanging onto the phone as I flipped the correct sequence of levers. "Okay, okay hang on Rory, everything's going to be okay..." I tried to sound as sure of myself as the Doctor did when he was reassuring those who called him, but it was rather difficult as I glanced over to his still body, as I rubbed my forehead and tried to make the correct calculations for a proper trajectory. I cursed silently as my Time Lord brain made my fingers type in coordinates that I wasn't even aware of calculating; I prayed they were the right ones, since so often I was unaware of the mental processes going on inside my own head. The TARDIS spun into the vortex, tilting rather dangerously until I hit the blue zig-zag plotter, steadying her flight.

"Rory? Rory, I'm on my way, I'll call you when I learn anything or find Amy or... or anything," I finished lamely, biting my lip.

"O-okay, thanks," he replied in a soft voice, then the line went dead and I replaced the receiver with heavy hearts.

In a matter of seconds it was time for me to work on landing the TARDIS, thinking hard as I retraced the Doctor's movements that I'd seen so many times before. "See, dear? It's pays to pay attention," I murmured to my husband, reaching out to brush my fingers through his hair. "Just stay put while I find Amy, okay?" For a moment I couldn't speak as the TARDIS landed, thudding into silence, as I stared at the Time Lord's silent, young face. My eyes burned, and with a sigh of regret I bent over his quiet form, pressing my lips softly against his forehead. "Please be in there when I get back," I breathed, taking a step back and withdrawing my pink sonic screwdriver from my jeans' pocket.

Outside it was dusk, cool and breezy, and with a flick of the sonic I locked the blue doors behind me. I knew that nothing could get in, the Doctor had told me that once, but it felt strange leaving him behind in there and setting out on my own. _I'm the Doctor's stand-in... how weird..._

I had parked the TARDIS on the edge of a country road, and there were two glows in the darkening sky, one on the horizon to my left and one to the right – I hoped that they were the lights from the Upper and Lower Leadworths. With a flick of the wrist that I had practiced, I scanned the area for life signs. For Amy. There was forest behind me, dark and silent, and as I raised the sonic to read the results I decided to keep my eyes on the swaying trees for a moment. I saw nothing, so I looked down.

Amy was nearby, she was somewhere very near and alive, but the sonic couldn't say exactly where. But at least she was alive. I sighed with relief, looking around once more to see if there was a taxi driven off the side of the road or something, though the police would have found that. So strange.

I scanned again, this time facing the forest, and then I noticed in the dimness that there was a narrow dirt road which opened off of the main paved road and drifted off into darkness. A quick glance at the sonic told me what I was now thinking; it was possible that Amy had somehow gotten off the main highway and had traveled a little way into the forest. Feeling a bit nervous, I began to walk in the direction, keeping the sonic in front of me to follow her life signs. I felt a brief regret that I'd always followed the Doctor's no-weapons rule; sometimes being in the middle of nowhere with darkness setting in and a creepy dirt road were good enough incentives to carry a big stick or something – at the very least.

I walked in the growing night for several long minutes, listening carefully to the sound of the wind in the trees and the distant chirping of crickets in the fields behind me. The highway was deserted, since I didn't hear any cars go whizzing past.

And then, up ahead, my eyes caught sight of something that made my breath catch in my throat.

A small yellow taxi stood all by itself on the side of the dirt road where it had apparently been run into a tree. Steam was still rising from the crumpled front end, so the crash had apparently happened not long before. I broke into a run, moving as fast as I could towards the vehicle, fearing the worst. I nearly bumped into the car door, peering down inside as I raised the sonic screwdriver for light. In the front seat an older man sat, unconscious and bleeding from the head. My mind felt frozen as I turned to look into the back seat, as my eyes found a young, red-haired woman sitting on the side furthest from me, her eyes closed.

"Amy!" I yanked the back door open, and felt an immense wave of relief as she opened her eyes, blinking up at me in surprise.

"Hero! Oh my God, I'm so glad you're here..." I climbed into the car next to the very pregnant woman, scanning her quickly with the sonic and flicking it open. She was fully dilated and between contractions. "What sort of time do you call this?" she gasped, pressing a hand into her belly and looking rather frightened and angry all at the same time, "Where's... where's Rory? And the Doctor?"

I shook my head, reaching out and carefully unwrapping her from the seat belt; apparently she'd tucked it around herself for the ride to the hospital since her belly was so big.

"I'm sorry I haven't seen you in so long," I babbled, taking her hands in mine and feeling that she was cold, "I've been stuck on the TARDIS trying to rescue the Doctor, and... What the hell happened? Why didn't you make it to the hospital?" Without waiting for her answer, I turned in my seat towards the crumpled driver, scanning him. Dead. From a heart attack.

"Heart attack," Amy murmured, confirming what I'd found, "he just started grabbing his chest and then steered off the road, I think he was trying to stop but he couldn't and..." She didn't finish, just looked mutely at the front of the car where the tree had smashed the front end.

"The tree stopped you," I murmured, staring sadly at the dead driver. He'd been trying to get her to safety, but death has a way of sneaking up and taking anyone down. I remembered what was going as as Amy stiffened, moaning between gritted teeth.

"Ugh... this sucks..." she groaned, gripping hard on my arm as the contraction increased in pressure.

"Breath," I prompted, without thinking, then rubbing her tightened hand as she bent forward into a little ball and whimpered. I swallowed, unsure of what to do except that she really needed to get to the hospital, fast.

"Um," I began, watching her relax slightly as the contraction faded for a moment, "the TARDIS is just down the road, just about two hundred yards... I'm not sure I can bring it to you and still get here in the correct time, I'm not very experienced..." I trailed off as Amy looked at me, and I knew she could tell what I was implying.

"So, you want me to _walk_ to the TARDIS?" she huffed, shifting in her seat and opening the door beside her. I quickly nodded, getting out of my side and hurrying to help her turn and stand. She grimaced as I pulled her up, breathing hard, and I carefully wrapped my arm around her back and took one of her hands in my own to steady her. "What about..." She glanced back at the dead man, regret written on her face.

"Don't worry," I said, trying to be as soothing as possible, "As soon as we get you to the hospital, I'll let the police know so they can come out here and take care of him, okay?" Amy nodded tightly, grimacing again.

"We should hurry," she said, "before the next contraction..."


	11. To the Hospital

Amy and I didn't get very far before she sank to the ground, crying out in pain as the next contraction took away the strength from her legs. I knelt down beside her, feeling flustered and nervous, making a conscious effort not to wave my arms around in a panic like the Doctor would at this moment.

"Take deep breaths, Amy, it'll help..." I repeated the words I'd heard so many times in movies and TV shows, though honestly I didn't know whether taking in extra oxygen would help as Amy's already pale face grew paler as she lay in the ground, panting and whimpering as her large belly visibly clenched. I placed a sympathetic hand over my own smaller stomach as I attempted to sooth her, scanning her with my sonic again. The baby was dropping, and I knew that meant she was about to deliver any moment. Soon she'd have to push, and I wasn't at all sure I could coach her through that, let alone catch the baby and not drop it and cut the cord...

Rory. We needed Rory.

As Amy's contracted seemed to fade briefly, I hauled her to her feet despite her protests and dragged her along the road towards the TARDIS. By now I was practically carrying her, which was no mean feat since she was several inches taller than me and heavy with lots of baby.

"Damn it, you're set on getting me there," she panted, not fighting me but instead sagging against me as she forced her legs to move.

"Come on," I encouraged her, getting a firmer grip on her back and hoping desperately that we'd be inside the TARDIS before her next contraction. This wish wasn't granted, however, as Amy soon cried out and clutched hard at my arms, making me wince.

"No! No! Keep going," she gasped as I tried to stop and lower her to the ground, and sensing her desperate determination I pressed on, praying silently that our frantic steps weren't hurting her or the baby. A painful blur of a moment later, we stumbled into the time machine, both gasping for breath as I let the door swing shut behind us and gently settled Amy down onto the floor. She gasped when she caught sight of the Doctor, still unconscious on the hospital bed near the console, but I didn't comment as I charged over to him and began to get the TARDIS ready to go into flight.

"He's still..." Amy panted, sitting against the wall near the double doors and leaning back wearily, her wide eyes fixed on the silent Time Lord. "it's been so long since I've seen him, though I've gone longer, much longer..." Her dark chuckle was cut off as she contracted again, every muscle in her body clenching down around the little body that was making a very good effort of leave her body.

I grimly pulled the main drive lever, sending us into proper flight, and I held onto the tiller as tightly as I could to keep the ride steady for Amy. I wondered if there would even be enough time to get her into the hospital, or even into the TARDIS sick bay. I didn't want to move her again, not when the baby was so low.

"Well if that bloody raggedy man isn't awake to help me," Amy muttered from her prone state, "then I'll just have to make do with Rory's stupid face." She gritted her teeth, her Scottish temper coming out as she began to push involuntarily.

"Amy, don't push yet!" I yelled, attempting to land the TARDIS safely and hoping we were in the right place, "Wait til Rory gets here!"

"Bloody hell!" Amy yelled back, and I wasn't sure if she was cursing at me or at the situation in general, but I didn't really want to find out. _Come on, Old Girl,_ I begged the TARDIS, _put us near the hospital and Rory, come on, please please please..._

We thudded down, and immediately I left my post beside the Doctor and ran flat out to the doors, throwing them open. "Oh, thank God, we're in the right place," I breathed, peering outside. I was about to run and get help, but Amy saved me the trouble.

"RORYYYYYYYYY!"

And like all good husbands, there he was, sprinting toward the TARDIS in his scrubs, carrying what appeared to be a bucket of water (which was spilling all over the place) and a huge pile of white cloths.

"RORY GET YOUR STUPID FACE IN HERE!"

And he did, nearly crashing into me as he attempted to bypass me completely to get to his yelling wife.

As I closed the door behind him, as he knelt down beside Amy and began to examine her, urging her to raise her knees, urging her to push, I found myself smiling as I moved closer to the Doctor. Even though there was still a difficult part coming up, the excitement that Amy was about to have a baby finally caught up with me, hence the smile.

_Well, this gives us something to look forward to, doesn't it, love..._

Touching the Doctor's face briefly, I turned back towards the Ponds to assist my friends in any way I could.


	12. A Disparity in Time is Never Fun

**I know I'm laying on the chapters thick, so yay!**

**In this chapter I'll be introducing a bit of timey-wimey complication... Hang in there, as Hero becomes better at managing time travel weirdness and all that, more shall be explained. :)**

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><p>Rory bodily lifted Amy in his arms, the bucket of water spilling everywhere as the white cloths scattered to the floor. In a twinkling they were out the door, heading straight for the hospital, and I ran forward to join them when the TARDIS doors came crashing shut in my face and the time machine roared to life, screaming through my mind.<p>

"Wait! No, bloody machine..." I charged back towards the console, desperately messing with the controls in an effort to stop the TARDIS from taking off, but with a shudder we started to dematerialize. "What the hell are you doing?" I yelled, wiggling levers back and forth uselessly, like they were simply plastic dummies placed there by the TARDIS herself to placate me. "Amy and Rory... Silly girl, I hadn't forgotten about the Doctor! What could possibly be so important that you had to take me away right _now_?"

By now we were in full flight, spinning off into the time vortex, and I sagged against the Doctor's hospital gurney in defeat. Whatever was happening now, I'd have to get back to the Ponds later and hopefully not miss too much. _Bloody freakin hell..._

Glancing over at the Doctor, I realized that the TARDIS was making no move to land, which could only mean one thing – she wanted me to try to find her thief again. I closed my eyes briefly, biting my lip as I edged forward to the Doctor's side. To be perfectly honest, I was nervous to try again. There was a very real danger that I would get sucked in, that I wouldn't be able to ever find my way out again. Then I nearly smacked myself. "What the hell? You have to save him!" I talked loudly to myself, telling myself off like a disobedient child. "It's the _Doctor..._ Just get in there and get him out!" Then I quieted, staring at the Doctor's youthful face as once more I settled myself on the gurney next to his unconscious form. "I'm doing this..." I breathed, resting my head against his and letting my mind sink into that place which was now so familiar...

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><p>My eyes popped open. I froze.<p>

I was still lying on the gurney, resting on my side, but the Doctor was not beside me. The TARDIS was still in normal flight, flying through the vortex, and for a moment true panic seized me. I bolted upright, looking around wildly for a sign of the Time Lord, but there was no one else with me.

"_INCORRECT. I AM WITH YOU._"

I stiffened. "Ah, you again..." I tried to sound casual, like it didn't matter that it felt like the entity holding the doctor prisoner had somehow entered the real world. "Playing our new game?"

"_YOU CATCH ON QUICKLY. THAT IS INDEED WHAT I'M DOING._"

I grimaced, getting to my feet and looking around once more to see if anything looked strange or out of place. Nothing was changed. "So... what's the game?"

"_SIMPLE. I HAVE CREATED A REPLICA OF THE TARDIS. YOU MUST FIND THE DOCTOR. I HAVE HIDDEN HIM SOMEWHERE IN THE TIME MACHINE._"

"That's all? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were going a bit soft..."

"_SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERY INCH OF THIS TARDIS, DO YOU?_"

My blood ran cold. I realized that I actually _didn't_ know everything about the TARDIS; from what I'd seen, it was vast and confusing, on a good day. And as I stretched out my consciousness, I realized that there was no familiar hum of the TARDIS mind, no helpful sentience to assist me in this game of hide-and-seek.

"O-okay," I stammered, swallowing hard even as I tried to sound brave, "How long do I have? To find him?"

"_AS LONG AS IT TAKES, TIME LADY._"

I gritted my teeth. That's what I'd been worried about. If I was given all the time in the world, that meant that, wherever the Doctor was, it would be very difficult to find. I would need supplies, and perhaps... some hiking boots or something. Even though this was happening in my mind, I would feel the affects of the search physically as my consciousness gradually grew tired.

"Okay, well then I'll begin now," I said aloud, slowly making my way towards the main hallway which I hoped would still lead to my room. There was no response from the entity, so I broke into a slow run, mentally cataloging all the places in the TARDIS I knew about and also a list of the things I would need from my room.

This was going to take a while.

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><p>Realistically, I figured that it would take a few days (in terms of my internal clock) to find the Doctor. I also didn't really know if eating food in my mind would actually nourish my physical body out there in the real TARDIS, in the real time vortex. I figured it couldn't hurt to try, so after I changed into suitable walking shoes and a different shirt, I stopped by the kitchen to gather some supplies. Luckily my old school backpack was still in my bedroom where it had been discarded when I'd first come on the TARDIS with the Doctor and the Ponds, so I used that to hold everything.<p>

Another thing was bothering me, and that was whether actual _time_ was going to go by in terms of my physical body while my mind was searching for the Doctor, or whether we'd eventually wake up with only a few hours having passed – like a long dream. I hoped that it would be the latter, since I was concerned with how this would affect our baby. I was still aware of its presence even hear, walking around in a purely cerebral world, and that fact calmed me.

In a matter of minutes I ready to begin searching, but not before I'd carefully peered into every cupboard and drawer in the kitchen just to be sure the Doctor wasn't stuffed somewhere. He wasn't, so I left the kitchen and mentally crossed it off my list. I decided to search all the areas I knew first, so I headed back to the console room to double check before moving on to his room, the Pond's room (with bunk beds), and back to my own room to check under the bed and in the closet.

About an hour later I'd finished scanning those rooms are thoroughly as I could. Not finding the Doctor in those common places didn't really surprise me, though there was admittedly a weight of disappointment on my shoulders as I considered walking deeper into the TARDIS. Of course, during the months I'd lived here I'd started to explore, usually getting interrupted after half an hour by the Doctor panicking because I'd "disappeared." I could picture his scared face, so earnestly worried about where I'd been whisked off to, and I was always reminded how many times he'd lost those he loved, and how protective he was. Standing in the mind-TARDIS, contemplating my next location to search, I smiled fondly as I remembered how the Doctor would hug me fiercely, squeezing the breath from my lungs as he placed soft kisses on my face. My smile faded; it was difficult to think about such things when there was a vital part missing – the Doctor. I had to start searching now.

The next hour took me through some familiar territory, including some empty bedrooms which I knew had belonged to the Doctor's previous companions Donna, Rose, Mickey, and Martha. Even though I didn't these individuals personally, I was impressed with the level of personalization the TARDIS had taken in creating each of their living spaces. _Though didn't the Old Girl do that for you?_ Thinking back to when I'd passed these rooms on my earlier explorations, the doors had been locked. Now they swung open at the lightest touch. In this dream world, there were no secrets. At first, I was a bit puzzled. And then I remembered, the entity creating this reality was in the Doctor's mind.

I hated to think about what had been done to the Doctor that would make him divulge his oldest memories, the contents of his blue box and of lost friends.

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><p>It occurred to me some time later, when my feet started to ache, that I'd underestimated how long this quest would take. It seemed to me that the time machine would go on forever as I passed room after room, some empty, some furnished, most dedicated or belonging to people I didn't know. It humbled me a little, seeing all of this space, all of these memories, of which I was no part. It was a reminder of how old the Doctor truly was, how many people he had cared for and who had cared for him. I pressed a hand across my belly as I contemplated that he had chosen me as his mate. <em>You are the same species, stupid... Why not you?<em> "I'm still bloody lucky," I murmured aloud as I finally stepped into the huge library, sighing heavily when I saw how long it would take to search this vast hall properly.

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><p>I lost track of time while I was in the library. There was indeed a swimming pool in there, of sorts; it was more like a calm river which wound back and forth among the towering bookshelves, and scattered here and there were pool chairs and rubber inner-tubes and small paddle boats. It was like a book-filled oasis, but without the danger of sunburn. I had to climb to the top of the bookshelves, using one of the rickety ladders to do it, so that I could make sure the Doctor wasn't tied up on top somewhere. He wasn't.<p>

There were so many books, in so many languages, that after I while I didn't even bother to glance at the shelves except to look for my husband. It was rather overwhelming, and I distantly wondered if book collecting was a hobby of the Doctor's or the TARDIS'... Not that it mattered. It was something to think about.

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><p>By the time I was finished searching the library, I was starting to feel the fatigue. Reluctantly I sat down in the doorway of the hall, closing my eyes in an attempt to get my mind to rest. I was grateful that there had been no interruptions by the creepy entity; if it had spoken to me in the past few hours, I would have probably lost my temper, not a good idea in a hostage situation.<p>

I was startled out of my reverie by the sound of a phone ringing. My eyes snapped open. The sound was very close, right next to me in fact, though as I glanced around I saw nothing. Then recognition dawned as I realized that what I was hearing was the _actual_ TARDIS phone, and I surfaced from the Doctor's mind prison like I was rising from deep water. For a moment I was dazed, since I'd been so deep, but I blinked rabidly and slowly I came back to myself in the real TARDIS, in the real time vortex, and the real phone was ringing beside me. When I sat up, I felt distinctly lightheaded, and it took a few seconds for me to stand up. Feeling rather weak, I reached for the still-ringing phone and raised it to my ear. The doctor lay beside me, asleep.

"Hero! It's Rory Williams."

I chuckled at his complete introduction.

"Where are you?" he asked, sounding worried, "You were there for a moment, I took Amy out, and then you just disappeared behind us! What happened?"

"How long has it been since the TARDIS left?" I interrupted, rubbing my aching forehead.

"Sorry, about ten minutes, we've got Amy settled and she's starting to push now. I just wanted to know if you and the Doctor are... are going to come back."

"Go to Amy," I replied as soothingly as I could, "I'm doing all I can to get the Doctor back with us, and we're in a time machine, so... You know."

"Yeah." he said, then I heard Amy shouting in the background for him. "Gotta go," he added hurriedly.

"Good luck!" I called, then blinked when I realized that he'd already hung up. _Good boy._ I set the phone back down, shaking my head slightly as I tried to clear it. I was feeling a bit dizzy. My stomach growled painfully as I looked down at it.

A thought occurred to me, and I rushed to type into the TARDIS console. After a moment, the results showed on the small screen, and I blinked in surprise, then my hand flew to my mouth as I realized the implications.

Rory had said that it had only been a matter of minutes since he'd taken Amy from the TARDIS to the hospital. In my travels in the Doctor's mind, it had felt like about seven hours. Since we were flying in the vortex and therefore existing across all of space and time, it was as if everything was happening at once. But there was still relative time happening inside the time machine, happening to me and the Doctor.

According to the TARDIS time records, I'd been lying on the gurney beside the Time Lord, lost in his mind, for a week.

The dizziness nearly overcame me, and as I gripped hard at the console I knew something would have to be arranged to keep the pair of us, and the baby, alive during our telepathic battle with the entity. Otherwise, "all the time in the world" which had been granted to me to find the Doctor would lead to our physical deaths.

_Not good..._


	13. Preparations with a Helpful Sexy

**Sorry for the long break! I was in the midst of completing midterms, but now I'm fully on Spring Break for a week, so hopefully I'll be able to publish a couple more chapters! :) Plus, thursday is my birthday, and I'm excited to see the Hunger Games, so all is right with the world :)**

**I'm really bummed that this story is moving slower than the other three, but honestly it's probably because I have more to do than I did a couple of months ago! :P Don't worry, I won't give up on this one, Hero would kill me hahaha... *cough* Hang in there, thank you for reading, and...**

**PLEASE REVIEW! :D**

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><p>It turns out that having a relative dimensional time machine who has the ability to alter the inside of itself is a very good thing. A very good thing, especially if what one needs is complicated and timey-wimey.<p>

Having said time machine meant that I could start talking to it (her!), asking for certain things, and they were supplied... sort of. I still had to do a bit of searching. My solution to the Doctor's current predicament of being trapped in a faster time stream was very complicated, since I had a lot to take care of. First, I wheeled the unconscious Time Lord back into the sick bay and scooted him off the gurney and into one of the roomy stasis chambers. I carefully placed a small cushion under his head so that his neck would be supported, and I stashed another pillow next to him for when I got in next to him. But now I had to set the parameters of the stasis machine so that the baby growing inside me wouldn't be time-locked during the process of rescuing its father.

"I need an expert on Time Lord physiology..." I muttered to myself, grimacing as I realized that the first best choice was currently lying inert next to me. "So, what's the next best thing to the Doctor... Come on..." I drummed my fingers on the stasis chamber console, frowning slightly as a slight fluttering sensation spread across my belly. In concern I placed a hand over the spot, once more feeling the soft brushes of... something... against the inside of me. A slow smile spread across my lips as I realized that I was feeling the baby. "Hello..." I breathed, staying very still and trying to analyze the sensation, "You're very active, aren't you?" My eyes widened as I realized where I could find an expert on Time Lord physiology; the best hospital in the universe.

"Come on, little darlin', we gotta go!" I raced from the sick bay, down the hall towards the main control room, finding myself breathing a bit harder than usual because of my growing belly. When I had reached the console, I stopped, biting my lower lip as I surveyed the flashing lights and the expectant levers. _Silly, levers can't be expectant... Well, what else do you call them?_

"Okay," I said aloud, "Sexy, I need to get back to the Sisters of the Infinite Schism, I need them to give me the exact measurements of a healthy Time Lord. If only I knew the coordinates..." I blinked and laughed aloud as the main drive lever swung over with a clatter. The entire machine hummed to life, rasping and sighing as it changed course in the vortex. "Good girl! Awesome..."

I could feel us changing direction, and I quickly clung to the railing as we swung around and headed off towards what I hoped was the hospital.

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><p>"Is everything alright, miss?"<p>

I put on my cheeriest smile, hoping that it didn't look too fake. "Yes, yeah, the baby's fine and I'm feeling pretty good, but I was wondering if you could release my records to me... I've been..." I cast my mind around for a good excuse, feeling the nurse-nun's eyes boring into me. "I've been looking for a private doctor, and they all request records! Yes, that's why I need them."

The feline nurse didn't look too impressed, but remained polite as she asked, "But wouldn't they rather have them simply sent electronically? We possess the highest quality of computer databases available to a medical facility, and would be _more_ that happy to send -"

"I know," I cut her off, "and that's very kind, but I'd really like the hard copies, if you don't mind..." I raised my eyebrows at her, hoping to appear confident. I mean, yes I'm the Doctor's wife, but he sure has a lot of enemies. Even here in the best hospital in the universe.

"Very well, of course we'd like to accommodate you, Miss Smith," the nurse smiled, though her pleasant expression didn't quite reach her eyes as she began to type into her computer and pages started to print nearby.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," I replied, keeping my voice even. She didn't show any signs of doing something odd, even though I was watching her closely, but this didn't keep me from departing hastily when she handed me the stack of papers. I'd parked the TARDIS out on a hillside, a little ways from the hospital, and by the time I'd reached the blue double doors I was nearly going mad with anticipation. The sooner I could examine this data and plug into the TARDIS stasis chamber, the better.

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><p>"Oh how I wish you could talk to me..." I breathed, sighing as I attempted to get the TARDIS to configure itself properly to accommodate my baby, "This would be so much easier, and we could even tell each other jokes and stuff. Wouldn't that be fun..." The time machine hummed a bit louder, and a sensation like a warm smile entered my mind, making me grin. "Oh, you know you want to..." I entered in every single number provided by the Sisters, not really sure how much was too much information, but when it came to providing the perfect environment for the baby I wasn't going to hold back. The plan was to keep the Doctor and I in stasis while the baby was allowed to keep growing, nourished by my body, and a vitamin IV would be inserted into my arm to keep everything healthy. It wasn't ideal, certainly, but I gave the stasis console a firm look and sensed that the Old Girl and I had an understanding about all this. She loved the baby inside me almost as much as she loved her thief, and she seemed to like me well enough, so... <em>If anything goes, wrong, Sexy, you pull the plug and wake me up...<em>

Satisfied at last that the baby's numbers as well as mine were entered correctly, I carefully slid myself into the stasis chamber beside the Doctor, taking the clear bag of fluid in with me. I settled back against the pillow, wincing slightly as I inserted my own IV and taped it down securely. Now it would be up to the TARDIS to keep everything running smoothly. _I trust you, Old Girl..._ Closing my eyes, I turned my head towards the Doctor, feeling around between us until his hand was in mine. It was warm, which was comforting, though it didn't grasp me back like normal, and I sighed sadly as I prepared to reach out into his mind.

"Here we go," I breathed, pushing the button to close the stasis chamber with us inside it. As the cover closed, I focused my mind and bridged the gap to the Doctor's, feeling all sensation fall away for a moment as I was once more immersed within his unconscious prison.


	14. Until There's a Feeling of Madness

**Here's another chapter... Please don't be mad because it took so long... Please... *tears***

**I had a tiny bit of writer's block there, and then things got too distracting for a couple of days for me to actually sit down to write, buuut here it is! Finally! Thank you for continuing to read my stuff and for all your awesome reviews. You rock. :D**

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><p>I shuddered with cold as I opened my eyes, finding myself once more in the dream-TARDIS' library. It was frosted over with a thin sheen of ice over everything, the darkened books lost in a blueish haze. The swimming pool was thickened and stilled in the frozen hall, the tiled floors cold and slick beneath my feet.<p>

Closing my eyes, I reached out with my mind, looking for whatever creature was doing this to me. _What are you up to, huh? Are we having fun yet?_

**_OH YES. BELIEVE ME, HERO; I'M HAVING A LOT OF FUN. I SEE YOU'VE MADE SOME PROVISIONS..._**

_Yes. Anything else?_

**_OH NOT AT ALL, NOT AT ALL... DON'T LET ME KEEP YOU... OH AND HERO?_**

I grimaced, moving towards the library doors, my backpack pulling slightly at my shoulders.

_Yes?_

**_YOU'D BETTER HURRY._**

I rolled my eyes, pressing a careful palm against the roundness of my belly.

_You think I don't know that?_

**_HUMOR ME._**

_Fine. Why should I hurry?_

**_BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY LOST. MIGHT AS WELL GET TO THE FINISH LINE SOONER, EH?_**

Sudden heat suffused the room, steam exploding from books and floor and nearly scalding me as I ran full-tilt from the library. The hallway in front of me glowed green, disorienting me, and I knew that our tormentor was turning up the difficulty a little bit.

_Come on dream-Sexy, don't play tricks on me now... Let me find the Doctor..._

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><p>I walked and walked and searched this odd, surreal version of the TARDIS, until my feet ached and I found myself laughing weirdly to myself as I contemplated why I could even feel discomfort. This wasn't even my body, right? But the numberless rooms and hallways and forgotten console rooms had gotten into my mind and confused me thoroughly.<p>

"Doctor," I mumbled, sliding down against a wall to rest my feet, "when I find you, first I'm going to try and act angry because of what you've managed to put me through, you silly man. And then I'm going to snog you silly. And then I think..." I closed my eyes, stifling a yawn, "I think I'm gonna need a nap..." With a soft groan I slipped off my boots, tentatively rubbing the aching arches. "That's better..."

As I'd wandered the maze of the TARDIS, moving past room after room, I found myself talking aloud to the air. This past day of utter solitude felt wrong, especially when I was surrounded by such a vast space. The thought that the Doctor was somewhere in the time machine kept me going, even though I knew that each passing hour trapped here in this mental maze meant another day was passing outside in the physical world in the Time Vortex.

I settled back against the wall, letting my head rest as I breathed slowly and deeply.

"This whole thing is making me a little crazy..." I sighed, allowing myself to rest for a few more moments before leaning forward over my small belly to put on my boots. I couldn't really let myself sleep, even though the aching tug behind my eyes urged me to.

A part of my brain snickered as I rose to my feet, determined. I was only doing all of this, being pregnant and tired and harassed by an unseen foe, for the sake of a man.

_The best, worst, most lovely man,_ I replied to myself, _and don't forget it._

My thoughts were momentarily interrupted. **_DO YOU REALLY THINK HE'D PUT IN THIS MUCH EFFORT TO FIND YOU, HERO?_**

_Shut it. Of course. The dude's a mushroom cloud of stubbornness, didn't you know?_

The voice of my tormentor chuckled, and then I felt its presence fade away once more.

Just thinking about my Doctor was enough to help me smile as I continued my journey through the endless hallways of light and shadows.

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><p>I searched until I knew that at least two months had passed in the world outside my mind, in the Vortex, which felt to me like about 60 hours. I searched and peeked around corners and stumbled into unexpected chairs and lamps. I searched until the only thing keeping me going was imagining what it would feel like to fall asleep on a cloud somewhere, maybe there was a planet like that with weight-bearing clouds (<em>he<em> would know). And I'd fall asleep in the Doctor's arms around me and the tiny presence within me calm and quiet.

I kept telling myself that I was a Time Lady, that I was strong and didn't need nearly so much sleep as when I'd been human. I remembered that one story the Doctor had told me about the month when he didn't rest at all.

Then I smacked myself mentally. That was _him,_ crazy man, not _me_.

The baby hummed soundlessly to me, like a lullaby. I prayed that the real TARDIS was able to properly care for us so that nothing bad would happen. I closed my eyes and prayed for something, anything, to happen.

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><p>I was in one of the old saved console rooms. This one was mostly white, well-lit and cheerful rather than sterile. The console was lower and smaller than the one I was used to, but brushing my fingers over the expanse of cool smooth buttons felt oddly comforting. This wasn't <em>my<em> console, surely, the one I now knew by heart and could fly with soft unseeing touches, but… the break from the long winding corridors into something that felt more like home was soothing, and I lingered over the slowly revolving rods and the little purple and silver levers. I let my eyes slide closed, directing my lungs fully expand and retract as I breathed deeply and tried to settle my mind on which direction to take next. Quite honestly, I had no idea how large the TARDIS truly was. The terrifying thought that each turn I took would erase what was behind me kept me from turning back to look; I didn't really want to know if all this searching was in vain, whether I was simply walking around and around a single circular track which continually shifted to keep me trapped.

If I considered that idea seriously, well… That way lay madness.

As I let my head drop forward over the console, my eyes still closed, I felt something brush lightly against my shoulder. The breath that could have become a scream got trapped in my chest as my throat closed tight and I whirled around with raised hands, eyes wide and wild and undoubtedly a little crazy.

The Doctor had apparently had just enough strength to reach out for me, his fingertips brushing against my jacket, then as I turned he tumbled to the cool white floor. The suddenness of seeing my goal right there in front of me momentarily left me frozen, but then an inhuman sound left my lips as I lurched down towards the Time Lord. I noted the translucently pale skin, the faint blue tinges of bruises around his left eye and across his jaw and where his white shirt was torn aside and the bow tie was gone completely.

My hands seized him roughly, thankfulness that he was real coursing through every vein and nerve.

**_RUN, LITTLE TIME GIRL, RUN FAST._**

Behind me, a monster roared.

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><p><strong>A cliffy! Oh dear! ;)<strong>

**Review? Pwease?**

**:D**


	15. The Third Game or a Dream?

**Hello dear friends!**

**I sincerely apologize for the two-month break... *gives out free hugs* I've emerged victorious on the other side of final exams, graduation, the works, and now I have more free time (and writing ideas) for the summer! Yay!**

**I'm planning to wrap up this story quite soon, though Hero has a few more pieces to the puzzle to figure out before the end... :)**

**COMING SOON: I'm working on a new Thor/Avengers fanfic featuring Loki and an OC! Stay tuned :D**

**Please review! It helps me to write faster... **

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><p>"I've won this round!" I screamed, tugging the half-conscious Doctor upright with a strength I didn't know I had, "Just leave us alone!"<p>

Whatever it was that had roared had not yet entered the console room, thankfully, but I wasn't about to stick around to find out. Gasping for air I heaved the Doctor fully to his feet, begging him to stand and help me. My stomach seemed more in the way than usual, decidedly rounded in the front, so the job of getting him from the console and out the opposite door was enough to make me swear quietly under my breath.

Or perhaps not so quietly.

"Come on!" I groaned, dragging the Doctor along like a giant rag doll, "You've made it this far, use your damn skinny legs you crazy man!" I thought perhaps that I heard his chuckle weakly, his arms coming up to wrap around me as he attempted to stumble forward, but perhaps it was just the beast roaring somewhere behind us which was starting to sound more and more human.

"_**THIS IS THE FINALE!**_" it screamed, and the floor beneath my feet trembled and shifted like we were in an earthquake. With a Herculean effort I managed to duck into the hallway, the Doctor in tow, and together we fell into a side room and I slammed and bolted the door behind us.

"You promised that you'd release us after I won all three games!" I yelled to the closed door, resting a clenched fist against the cold metal, "I've won two! Bring on the last!"

Suddenly everything went still and quiet. My eyes widened; this was much more eery than any roaring, ravaging beast or disembodied voice. This... this was weird.

"_Missed me?_" came a weird, strangled voice next to me, and I jumped, staring in horror at the Doctor who now was stepping away from me, his eyes glowing an unnatural red.

"The copy..." I breathed, moving away from him (it?) as quickly as I could. My back bumped into the closed door, and my hand instinctively gripped the handle. "So what's..." I swallowed, trying to steady my voice, "What's this final game?"

"_Run,_" the monster hissed, his smile not reaching his bright red eyes, and I turned and bolted, throwing the door aside as I charged back into the hallway and headed toward what I hoped was the main control room.

"_**DO YOU WANT A HEAD START?**_"

"Whatever!" I yelled, breathing hard at the new weight at the front of my body attempting to tug me downward. After that I heard nothing, no following footsteps, no roars or whispers, or evil-voiced thoughts.

Perhaps I was alone. I kept running.

All too soon my strength gave out and I stumbled against a wall, dangerously close to toppling over. My hearts raced and throbbed, my stomach decidedly bigger than it had been an hour before, and I slumped against the wall, bent and attempting to catch my breath. In both directions the hallway was silent, and no monster appeared to chase me down. Still, I couldn't stem the flutter of panic in the pit of my stomach. Or was that... _Are you awake, little one?_ I rested a thoughtful hand on my belly, feeling the soft movements from the outside as well as from the inside. Things were moving very fast, _time _was moving, and I knew that I was nearing the moment of truth.

I began to move again, walking briskly, every few moments glancing back over my shoulder in search of a pursuer. There was no one. All I wanted to do was find the main console room and see what could be done there. Honestly, however, I had no idea what to expect when I actually arrived. With a sinking heart I trudged on, clasping a hand to my back as it began to ache. My feet felt achy, too, something I'd never really experienced before now. The baby was growing, and my mind-body was having trouble keeping up.

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><p>A good deal of time passed before I had to stop and rest again. This time I slumped down to the floor, grimacing at my growing belly and attempting to stretch my aching legs.<p>

"Are you in need of... assistance?"

I jumped, twisting around to behold a short, balding little man standing about ten feet away from me. He was dressed in an old-fashioned suit and tie, and a bowler hand was clutched in his hands. He was smiling down at me in a friendly way.

I stumbled to my feet. "Who are you?" I spoke much louder than I'd intended, backing away down the hall from the little man. He didn't make any move to follow, just kept smiling and twisting his hat slightly with his fingers.

"Do you really now know me?" he chuckled, shaking his head in a sort of bemused sort of way, "I thought you'd become well-enough acquainted with the Doctor to know all of his... friends..."

I blinked at the man, carefully examining him in hopes of perhaps recognizing... "Nope, don't know you, and stay back, got it?"

"Easy there Hero," the man smiled, reaching up the carefully place the bowler on his head, "I'm only here to help. At least, that's what I was _told_..."

I could feel a hum of apprehension building in my mind as I continued to examine the man, hoping I'd know him from somewhere, anywhere...

"I know it's been a long time, dear," he continued, casually stepping a bit closer but keep his hands in a neutral position at his sides, "but _surely_ the Doctor has told you about his many adventures with the illustrious Ponds?" When my only response was silence, he went on, looking rather hurt, "_Surely_ he's mentioned that, sometimes, little bits and pieces of him get... shall we say... _separated_ from the whole of his mind? Manifestations of his darker elements?"

Something in my mind clicked, and my mouth opened slightly in understanding. "I thought... I though that you'd only been created by a _drug..._"

"Oh my dear child, look at me!" He did a little turn, grinning impishly at me all the while, "It's me, in the flesh! The dear Doctor's favorite sparring partner! The jester! The schemer!" He moved closer, and his voice became quieter, darker, as did his expression, "The _Dream Lord..._"


	16. Taking Things to Hand

**Well, I'm back! :D**

**Oh goodness, I really thought I knew what I was going to say when I wrote that last chapter, but then I got hit with a veritable wave of writer's block. And then I moved to a new apartment. And then I got caught up in applying for jobs. Yeah. *guilty face***

**But here we are again, and this story is nearing its conclusion as Hero gets a few answers (and just as many new questions!) and begins to really take matters into her own capable hands. **

**As always, thank you for all of your kind reviews, alerts, and favorites... I write for you, and your feedback is very much appreciated. :)**

**On we go!**

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><p><strong>PREVIOUSLY:<strong>

_Something in my mind clicked, and my mouth opened slightly in understanding. "I thought... I though that you'd only been created by a drug..."_

_"Oh my dear child, look at me!" He did a little turn, grinning impishly at me all the while, "It's me, in the flesh! The dear Doctor's favorite sparring partner! The jester! The schemer!" He moved closer, and his voice became quieter, darker, as did his expression, "The Dream Lord..."_

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><p>My eyes widened with sudden understanding, my pulses throbbing loudly in my ears as I stared at the little man before me. He was still smiling, the soft expression not quite reaching his piercing eyes.<p>

"I see..." I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady, "So... What exactly is going on? Why am I running around in the Doctor's mind?"

The Dream Lord chuckled softly, shaking his head at me with a rather smug grin. "Aha, right to the big questions, I see," he chortled, "I see why _he_ likes you so much! But really, my dear, the answer is quite simple."

I raised an incredulous eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Why, of course!" He examined his hat enthusiastically as he continued, "You, sweet girl, were plagued by dark dreams and terrifying nightmares, yes?" I nodded, feeling a chill spread across my back at the thought of all those creepy dreams. "Well, then," the Dream Lord murmured, meeting my gaze once more, "The Doctor couldn't have that, now could he? He couldn't _bear_ to see his dearest Hero suffer, especially with a baby in the way..." He paused, his gaze falling to my huge stomach, "You look great, I must say," he laughed, not quite serious, and I rolled my eyes.

"He told me he'd take away the dreams," I sighed, feeling tired and frustrated by this ridiculous little man, "The doctor at the hospital said that the nightmares were symptoms of my pregnancy, crazy hormones run amok or something..."

"Ah, but do you really believe that?" the Dream Lord interrupted, his tone serious. I stared up at him, a slight frown creasing my forehead as I considered him.

"Well... shouldn't I?"

"As soon as he reached into your mind to take the darkness away," he whispered, "the darkness seeped from you and went into _him. _Not exactly hormones in that case, hmm?"

I blinked, feeling rather alarmed as he took a slow step towards me. My instincts begged me to move back, to keep the same distance between us, but I held firm and met his gaze squarely. "So... this darkness... It came from me?" I asked, my voice failing to stay casual. He didn't reply, only took another small step closer. "Something in my mind, it's causing all of this? Causing him to lose grip on himself? On reality? On... Oh God..."

The Dream Lord was suddenly very close, his light blue eyes looking directly into mine from only a foot away. "There is a darkness in all of us, little girl," he hissed, "and one cannot know from whence it comes. The only question which remains, then, is _how to put him back together again..._"

And then he vanished.

I stumbled backward, expecting a flash of light or a puff of smoke, but he simply wasn't there. I rubbed my forehead with a shaking hand, gritting my teeth with frustration. _There is a darkness in all of us..._ What the hell did _that_ mean?

"I've got to put the Doctor back together," I said aloud, the words leaving my mouth before I could really think them over. But deep down, even if I still didn't fully understand what was going on, the things the Dream Lord had whispered made sense. Something coming from me had driven the Doctor crazy, making him split into different parts, faking himself and testing himself and making me doubt him. I shook my head, trying to focus.

"Hero!"

I whipped around, tilting slightly off balance from the weight of my belly. My eyes widened as the fake-Doctor came into view, his red eyes glinting as they fixed on me. Just behind him was the person I'd heard call for me, the _real_ Doctor, his hands outstretched as he attempted to grab the false Time Lord.

"STOP!" I held up my hands, palms out, fixing the pair of Doctors with what I hoped was a fierce glare. "Stay where you are, you two, we're gonna fix this, here and now."

"Oh _really?_" The red-eyed one crooned, stopping in his tracks but continuing to grin at me, "Well, I suppose that we must, since we're all _here..._"

"Are you?" I asked, glancing around quickly.

"I'm here," the nicer-looking Doctor called softly, his blue eyes pleading as they looked into mine.

"And I," came a rather brutal voice, and I caught sight of the fake Doctor who had leered at the dancer in the dream-club all that time ago. I grimaced at him, still not entirely convinced that he could be an actual facet of the real Doctor's personality. He winked at me, and I felt a strange urge to laugh at this absurd situation.

More and more "Doctors" started to approach me from the darkness, in various clothes and with various expressions of guilt, humor, anger, and indifference. The one I still connected with the most, the sad-eyed one, stayed the closest to me, keeping the others at a safe distance with his protective glance.

After a moment, all grew still as the two-dozen-or-so men looked at me with varying shades of expectation, and for a moment I was lost for words.

"_**SO, HERO, YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN... WHAT DID THAT VILE LITTLE MAN SAY... 'FIX' ME?"**_

I jumped slightly as the final character, the apparent leader of this motley group, joined our little party. His thunderous voice pressed rather painfully against my mind, making me press a hand to my temple to help me focus. All around me, the various versions of the Doctor looked up, not nearly as surprised as I. The soft-eyed one edged closer to me, looking worried. I allowed him to come a bit nearer, though my rational mind told me that even he couldn't be trusted, not until this whole mess was sorted out.

"Fix you?" I said aloud, addressing my speech to the air, "_Fix_ you? I wasn't under the impression that the Doctor would require fixing, if you are indeed him."

"_**OH LITTLE ONE, HOW NAIVE YOU TRULY ARE... A TIME LORD WHO'S SEEN AND DONE AND HURT AS MUCH AS THE DOCTOR IS INDEED IN NEED OF 'FIXING.' HE IS BROKEN, TRULY, AND YOUR LITTLE HORMONAL ESCAPADES SET HIM OFF."**_

"I see..." I tried to keep my voice steady, but I could feel my throat tightening as the accusation of the voice sunk in. Was I indeed the cause of all this madness? Had something in my physiology pushed the Doctor into some sort of divergent phase, forcing him to test me and break apart into tiny pieces of himself?

"N-no matter," I found myself stammering, "I'm not sure what's happened, exactly, but... but I say it's time to stop."

"Oh?" the red-eyed Doctor snickered.

I fixed him with a powerful glare, standing up a bit straighter despite the protest of my spine from the weight in front. "Why yes, yes I am."


	17. Everything Changes

"Here's what's going to happen," I called to my strange group of Time Lords, "First, you're all going to go away or melt back together or do whatever you have to do to fix this mess. Second, the Doctor, the _real _Doctor, is going to get his ass figured out and stand next to me. Third, we leave. Any questions?"

"Actually, dear, I _do _have one..."

I whirled around and frowned at the re-appeared Dream Lord. He was smirking and fiddling with his bowler hat, his eyes trained on the floor at my feet.

"I thought you'd gone away," I sighed in frustration, crossing my arms.

"I'm sure you think a lot of things, Hero dear," the little man chuckled, "but have you considered what _that_ is?" He nodded at the floor beneath me, and with a quick flash of panic I glanced down.

My leggings were streaked with wetness, my shoes soaked through. I gasped, shocked that I hadn't noticed when my water broke. Fighting down the wave of terror which gripped me, I stared back up at the Dream Lord with wide eyes.

"Th-this can't be happening," I gasped, "It's much too soon!"

"_Is _it?" he laughed, turning and walking away from me. The other false Doctors around me watched him go, all of them looking remarkably concerned about the scene before them. I barely had time to spare them a thought, however, as my brow furrowed in concentration and I attempted to remember exactly how much time I was supposed to have left. My thoughts were interrupted, however, by a rippling, tightening pain which spread rapidly across my belly and deep within my lower body. I gasped, leaning down protectively over my stomach as I wrapped my arms around myself. The pain intensified slightly and held, a strange pulsing ache, and then after about ten more seconds the contraction began to fade. I stared blankly at the nearest the Doctor, the one who seemed kinder than the rest, and for a moment I hoped that he really was the right one... or nearly the right one.

"Shit..." I breathed, slowly straightening back up and pressing a shaking hand to the small of my back to steady myself. "Okay, Doctor, now more than ever is a good idea for all of this to just -" I snapped my fingers, "-go away."

"As you wish, dear," the Dream Lord crooned, and then the world exploded with light.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand, Doctor... why... why the hell is she in labor?"<p>

_A sound of slamming doors. Loud voices and the flickering of lights._

"Rory, I don't have time to explain anything to you and OH MY GOD AMY..."

"Doctor, relax, she's fine and the baby is on it's way..."

_It gets quieter, and suddenly there's the feeling of a soft mattress and a warm blanket._

"Hero, darling, can you hear me? Everything's going to be fine, just fine, but you've got to open your eyes and look at me! Hero?"

_A voice. Amy's voice._

"Oi! Stupid face! Make sure she's alright, yeah?"

_Hands checking for a pulse, the prick of a needle being carefully placed._

"Amelia Pond, you've got your own problems to deal with right now, and I'll just take care of my wife, and Rory will take care of you, and..."

"Mr. Williams, Mr. Williams..."

_Rory's shuffling footsteps as he dashes from the room._

_The Doctor's voice, hushed – concerned._

"Hero? I can see you're breathing, that's good. Breathing's good. I can't... Whatever happened, all you have to do is open up your eyes and talk to me. Tell me what's wrong, if I can help -"_ His voice fails for a moment, dying in his throat._

"Sir? Mr... Doctor? Your wife needs to be taken to surgery... Doctor?"

_He clears his throat._

"You'll be safe with them, dearest, I'll... I'll be right by your side..."

_The world shifts. Lights flicker by, and there is the sensation of crashing through doors. Even brighter lights overhead. The cool press of a gas mask. Inhale. The air is strange, tasting of plastic and something even colder._

"Ms. Smith, we're going to operate now. You'll be able to see your baby very soon..."

"My god... She has two hearts! Two... _Two_ of them!"

"Will the baby be the same way?"

"A congenital condition... Hero. My love... I'm right here, I'm right... right here."

_Warm fingers._

_Darkness._


	18. Anna, Dreams, and On to New Adventures

__**Hello everyone! I'm soooo sorry, but I only just realized that I've never completed this story! *gross sob* Well, here is the final chapter, and I hope that it somewhat fits with the past narrative and makes a little sense. *blushes and hides* I just wanted to give you an idea of what was to come for our lovely Hero and her Doctor... Thank you for being there for me, for commenting, for favoriting and following. It's all meant so much, and you are the continued inspiration for my writing! No fear, I'll return soon with an Avengers fanfic of some sort, and there shall be a Loki involved... ;)**

**For now, Geronimo! And thank you, as always, for reading. :)**

**All my love, SilverTortoise**

* * *

><p><em>How does one tell the difference between reality and dreams?<em>

There comes a time in every person's life when they remember what exactly is keeping from flying into a million pieces. The moment Hero's eyes rolled back as she surrendered to the dark, her fingers squeezing mine and then falling limp – my brain filled with static. I gaped at her for a moment in silence, then felt hands resting on my forearms, kind voices telling me to step back. Numbly I did so, knowing that the doctors needed to do their work to save both Hero and our beautiful, tiny child.

_Doctors._

What good was it being called "The Doctor" when I couldn't even keep Hero's mind intact? The past few months I'd watched helplessly while she twitched and moaned in her sleep – a never-ending sleep. Ever since that night in the hammock she'd been unconscious, her body growing and thriving as our baby grew even though her mind was absent. I'd feared that something like this would happen – Time Lord pregnancies are never simple – but seeing it happen to her and being unable to see what she was seeing was perhaps the most painful thing I've ever experienced.

"_What really happened, Doctor?" she'd ask later, much later when the incision from the emergency c-section had been closed and feeling returned to her legs, "Why did I sleep and have all those nightmares?" I'd be sure to smile – everything always sounded a little safer when accompanied with a smile. _

"_Time Lords are terribly sensitive to dreams, darling," I'd reply, stroking her soft hair and then touching the downy head of our child. So small. So utterly whimsical. Ours._

"_You protected me," she'd whisper, dark eyes wide, their emotion drawing me in until I couldn't think of anything else but her. "I can see that now... all this time I was searching for you, but in reality..."_

"_I will always be here," I'd whisper, "If my word means anything, I'll always be here."_

_She'd smile, then. My beautiful hero._

* * *

><p>"Miss? Your husband is here..."<p>

I turned my head, a wide joyful smile coming over my face at the sight of him. Everything was still fuzzy around the edges from the heavy doses of pain medication and Valium, but seeing the Doctor's anxious, excited face helped bring my vision into sharper focus. "Hey, honey..." He was by my side in an instant, hair obviously mussed from him running his hands through it in a frenzy of worry.

"Hero..." He gulped, eyes drawn to my much-flatter stomach as if expecting the worst – blood everywhere or something. I giggled at the thought, strangely enough, and he looked up sharply.

"Heh, sorry baby, I'm very very drugged right now..." I smiled lazily as I let my eyes closed. This bed was so comfortable... "I can't wait to see the baby... I wonder if he or she's got lots of hair?" I giggled again.

"Oh! They didn't tell you if it's a boy or girl?" the Doctor laughed, and I felt the fingers of one of his hands gently stroking my hair, "You didn't get to see the baby? That's not very fair!"

"I was... kinda out of it," I chuckled, opening my eyes again so that I could look at him. He looked very... real. Now that I was out of the dream-state, I realized that it had been fake all along. "How ironic... so it was all a stupid dream?"

"I'm afraid so, love," the Doctor sighed, his forehead wrinkling slightly, "but at least it's had a happy ending."

"Care to see your baby?" came the voice of an excited-sounding nurse, and we both grinned and stared towards the door. "It's a sweet little girl, my dears... and here she is!"

_Oh._

She was even more beautiful than I could have imagined.

* * *

><p>"Oi! Get in here and hold your little nephew!" Amy's glare was playful as the Doctor trotted into her hospital room, with me and our tiny daughter in tow.<p>

"Nephew?" I laughed, grinning down at the red-headed woman and the tiny bundle of ginger in her arms, "I love the sound of that! Uncle Doctor..." The said Doctor gave me quite the reproachful look but then soon smiled again, his arms held out eagerly to accept the tiny baby boy.

"That's your new name," Rory smirked, moving a bit closer to his wife. Amy made grabby hands for my daughter, a wide grin splitting her face.

"Ooh gimme! Aww she's just so gorgeous..."

I humored her, placing the small warm bundle into her arms with a soft laugh. "Here she is, little Anna..." When I said our baby's name, my gaze found the Doctor's for a moment and we smiled at one another. Sappy, yes, but we were happy. And he looked amazing cradling the newest Pond in his arms...

"I'll be a good uncle," the Doctor crooned dreamily, "We'll go on adventures and do lots of running, though only in the safest of environments or your mummy will kill me..."

"You've got that right, raggedy man," Amy laughed, and I ruffled the Time Lord's hair.

"So sentimental..." He smiled up at me, then safely transferred the red-headed Pond back to his mom and dad. I took and cuddled Anna, enjoying her warmth and addictive baby-ness smell. I was already to attached to her, poor little dear...

"I suppose I am," the Doctor murmured, smiling at me, and I winked at him, knowing things were going to be pretty bloody fantastic.


End file.
